Undefeated
by Dark Empress V
Summary: Malcolm Merlyn during and after season 5 finale of Arrow. Emotional, for my fellow Dark Archer fans!
1. Landmines

_Summary_ : AU. This story happens during and after the finale of Arrow season 5. Spoilers if ya haven't watched it yet. Focusing on Malcolm Merlyn, Thea, also the entire Team Arrow.

 _Author's note:_ Again, repeat spoiler alert! If u watched season 5 finale u know what seems to have happened there. I adore Malcolm and the way he behaved there. I'm still reeling from the episode. Decided to write this story, spur of the moment.

Enjoy!

 **Undefeated: Chapter 1: Landmines**

XxXxXxX

 _Lian Yu_

Thea sat down in one of the guard rooms in the prison she remembered Slade Wilson had been kept. The team just managed to make their way there before the Armageddon on the Island started. It was a good shelter, Argus had made sure of it. Even so, the explosions that shook it were a whisper in her mind compared to the one she had heard in the woods after Malcolm made them all run away, after he…

And the words he'd said, the look of love on his face when he said them.

 _'From the moment you were born, all I wanted was to protect you.'_

 _'You may not think of me as your father, Thea. But you will always be my daugter.'_

She leaned on the chair as the memories started to hit her. The way he always protected her. The support he had shown her after her mother was murdered and everyone had lied to her, the way he had made her strong, beyond what she thought she was capable of.

Images flashed through her mind. The night he rescued her on that train station when one of Slade's goons tried to kill her. Then the training he gave her, and the warmth as well. The travels they had together, the laughs. When her pretend DJ boyfriend tried to kill her when Ra'z Al Ghul was hunting Malcolm and his entire family for the Undertaking.

True, Malcolm was a complicated, twisted person, but he did have goodness in his heart and she knew he had been through a lot. He'd lost his wife, his son, his friends, the League, practically everything he ever cared about. And yet, he'd struggled on, and despite everything, he kept fighting for her, even when she rejected him. How could she have forgotten that, given in to her anger?

She remembered what he said to her after he rescued her from that stupid DJ from Verdant, years earlier. He never once asked for her thanks in return. Not then, not later.

' _No parent needs gratitude for saving their child.'_

His surprise visit after Oliver severed his hand. She'd been a bitch to him then, so completely insensitive to the pain he must have been going through. She'd made some smug remarks about his wound, but he had taken them in stride and just said one thing that still resonated in her ears.

 _'I would rather you hate me and be alive than love me and be dead!'_

Wasn't it the very definition of selflessness?

Then it all converged at once. All the memories, like a kaliedoscope.

The way he doggedly kept trying to get her to get away from Starling to escape Ra's, find a remote location to keep her safe.

The fact he clearly only threw in with Dahrk to save her from what that madman had planned to unleash upon the world.

She realised right then and there she never truly hated him. And just how much she had misunderstood him. He'd truly wanted what was best for her.

 _'I'm doing this for us, Thea!'_

There was this clarity she found then, painful agonizing clarity of her own mistakes. The realizaton that despite what she said to him in that forest, they had so much in common.

The way she fought, the ruthlessness she had shown, mulitple times, not only as Speedy. When she'd destroyed a reporter's career when the woman was going after Oliver's mayorship. She even remembered stuff she had done in highschool and college, before Malcolm's training. She thought of herself as morally superior to him or that her actions were the result of his manipulation. They weren't. They were her own choices and it was just pure hypocrisy to think otherwise, to blame him for her own mistakes. She couldn't blame it on genetics, she just had to face the fact it was her own doing. Genetics might have had something to do with it, she was no scientist, but Malcolm, he had shown more humanity than she had. He kept on helping her and Oliver despite their rejection, kept swallowing his pride, kept being there when they needed him most.

Suddenly, she remembered all these little details, the minutiae of his behavior, despite the impervious facade he'd put on. The flashes of pain in his eyes when she, Oliver, Felicity or John said something hurtful, when they said he was basicallly a heartless bastard, rejected his gestures of good faith, misunderstood his good intentions.

She felt guilty about all her snarky remarks, about just simply dismissing him as a villain, not appreciating everything he had done for her.

Oh, how much she missed him now. This indomitable presence, standing by her side, coming to her rescue, even if he risked her hating him. Even though she kept saying she hated him, he kept being there for her, right when she needed him the most.

Her memory travelled to the time they were in Corto Maltese. Yes, he could be brutal when they trained, but that was the way a true warrior was forged. She also remembered Oliver had not been kind either when training his recruits lately, that he had killed people as the Vigilante.

What she also recalled was Malcolm's uncanny skill as a teacher, the hours and hours he devoted to making sure she knew the tactics, his patience when she failed to understand something, the encouragement he gave her when she felt frustrated, the support he'd shown when she felt vulnerable.

She recalled a particular morning when he surprised her by cooking her breakfast after she woke up totally spent after the previous day of training. The way he always made sure she was properly hydrated, had a snack in between their practice sessions to keep up her strength.

The way he sensed when she needed to just goof off, his sense of humor.

There was one moment, late at night when she caught him looking at a picture of Rebecca, Moira, Tommy, Robert. She had approached him then, fearful he would be angry at the intrusion, but was shocked when he turned to her and she noticed his face was strewn with tears. He just turned and hugged her then; so warm, his breath hitching, struggling and failing not to sob.

She had met the man behing the mask then, the man she then learned could actually feel and feel deeply.

How, HOW could she have forgotten it all? The question kept haunting her.

Thea curled up in the chair as more memories came flooding in.

The gentle touch of his hand on her shoulder when she was dealing with her grief.

The surprise short hikes he took her on, showing her the landscapes, the gentle way he tucked her in her bed in Corto when she couldn't sleep, the mugs of cocoa he brought her to comfort her in the evenings after those first difficult days of training. The stories he told her when he opened himself up to her, the information he emphasized was necessary she knew in order to survive. She learned more from him during that summer than she ever could have if she had spent years in college or military school.

And yet, she had thrown it all away as if it was nothing.

She remembered the words Malcolm had said to her during one of their arguments, the same one they had when he visited her after his duel with Oliver.

 _'I taught you how to fight, how to be strong, I turned you from a delicate, spoiled brat into a warrior! And all I've ever gotten in return is your venomous spite!'_

He was angry, shouting, but she knew him well enough by then to recognize the undercurrrent of hurt, of desperate longing for comfort.

Then she remembered the moment from today, when he opened the cage Talia's and Chase's men had put her in. The look of concern on his face as he pulled her out.

 _'You okay?'_

 _'Go to hell.'_ was her only response. Then she actually rejoiced in the pain it may have caused him.

Suddenly all her snarky remarks towards him came ringing through her ears, like a cacophony.

 _'You are not my father, we have nothing in common,'_ was the loudest of them.

Then the last thing he said to her rang out.

 _'You will always be my daughter.'_

The guilt overwhelmed her again.

She remembered how he had held absolutely no grudge after she had given him up to the League years ago, how he had suffered quietly on the couch at the loft, recovered quietly in his pain and then always kept coming back to help her, how he hugged her, how he took it in stride when she just pushed him away.

And today…

Why did she have to be so stupid as to step on that landmine?

She curled up into a small ball on the chair, and just kept longing for her father's voice, his embrace.

Then it just became too much. A desperate cry escaped her.

"Daddy! Dad! Oh come back to me, please, Dad, I''m sorry, I… I need you, I love you. Come…. Come back please."

The only respose she got was the shaking of the bunker and the echo of his voice.

 _'You will always be my daughter.'_

Then she remembered his lessons, the way he had taught her to fight against all odds, and felt ashamed of herself again. She wished he was here, and if he was, what would he think of her, lying there, curled up into a ball?

What had he taught her about doubt and never staying down? Was she failing him again, by forgetting his lessons?

What had he shown her, even if he did not have to say it? To stand, face every obstacle.

What had she learned about him, from him. What had he made her, taught her to be?

Undefeated.

Her thoughts travelled back to worry about him, the shaking walls of the prison reminding her of what was going on and yet she also remembered how many impossible situations like this he himself had faced and conquered.

And despite her fear, her doubt, she chose to trust.

Cause that was what she chose to trust about her father.

It was as if a warmth suddenly appeared in her heart.

 _That is what Malcolm Merlyn taught me to be, that's what he IS._

Then a word rang out in her ears,

UNDEFEATED

 _ **To be continued**_

 _ **Dark Empress author notes**_

SPOLER ALERT BEFORE YOU READ THIS: season 5 finale

So by now, the Arrow season finale and what the actor playing Malcolm Merlyn suggested, he might have been killed or just not in for the next season. As an avid Dark Archer Malcolm Merlyn lover and admirer, it obviously sent me reeling. I decided to write this first chapter of the story from Thea's point of view, after she realizes she has been such a bitch to Malcolm. This has been hard for me to write, not only because of me reeling from the finale, but also because my luckily living father is my only closest relative who is also my everything.

Also, given the cliffhanger in the finale and the unpredictability of television, I REFUSE to accept they just killed Malcolm. Why? For the sole reason he is a MAJORLY wonderful character. So here I call upon my fellow Dark Archer fans to just RISE and do whatever it takes to have him back. We can email, do a campaign. Like Malcolm, I choose to remai UNDEFEATED!

 _ **Important:**_ Please R &R i love reviews, they always inspire me! Also huge thank you to Bloodsong, a wonderful friend and beta who makes my stories come alive!

 _ **Disclaimer:**_ The title was inspired by the song Undefeated by Skillet, all rights are theirs.


	2. Craters

_Author's note:_ So, the story continues. This time, we see things from Malcolm's point of view, as well as several OCs' (those of you who read my other Dark Archer stories will recognize them). Remember this is AU and some Canon combined.

 _Disclaimer:_ _All rights reserved to the respective entities creating the show. This is done for entertainment purposes only._

 _Warning: angst, gore  
_

Undefeated

Chapter 2: Craters

XxXxXxX

 _Lian Yu._

Malcolm staggered slightly after he jumped onto the landmine, struggled to regain his balance for a second after this complicated manouver of simultaneously pushing Thea out of harm's way.

"Oh my God!' Felicity screamed.

Malcolm allowed himself a brief sigh of relief as he shot a glance at Thea and realized she was okay and that the landmine didn't actually explode.

Thea jumped up and tried to protest; they all tried to talk him out of doing what he was about to do. Thea begged him to reconsider, her spiteful tone from just a few minutes ago replaced with the tenderness he remembered from their time in Corto Maltese. Even Felicity looked at him with concern.

Malcolm chuckled bitterly on the inside. People he had hurt, people that had hated, despised, wished him dead for years, now suddenly wanted him to live? How ironic. He couldn't dwell on that now, though. There were more important things he needed to focus on. He remembered what Oliver had said to him by the cages after they freed the prisoners, the boy's mild, pleading tone.

' _Make sure that everyone stays safe.'_

That was precisely what he was going to do. He was deeply touched by Oliver's trust in him, the way he relied on him again, like he had when they were infiltrating the League. Despte their fights, the way Oliver had maimed him, Malcolm still thought of him as a son. And he had made an internal oath he woud never fail him again. Neither him, nor Thea.

Suddenly, they heard running footsteps and a weird wooshing sound. A sharp boomerang lodged itself in a nearby tree.

Malcolm turned slightly, making sure his foot was still placed firmly on the mine. He noticed Digger Harkness and Talia Al Ghul's Ninjas approaching.

The time for action had come. He turned to the others.

"Alright, quick, get her out of here! All of you go!" he shouted _._

Thea started to protest, but there was no time to dawdle.

"GO!" Malcolm yelled in his most commanding voice that brooked no objection, and she obeyed.

XxXxXxX

Life had taught Malcolm Merlyn to never enter a situation without a backup plan. This time was no different.

Despite his dethronement from the seat of Resh Al Ghul, he still had a network of associates and friends whom he had nourished for years.

The moment he learned he was to fly to Lian Yu with Oliver, he alerted four of his most trusted, most faithful friends about the situation. He had known them since the Undertaking. Two trained mercenaries, Emily Carson and Sabrina Snow; a former agent of the CIA, Kevin Mc Douggal and former MI6 operative, Timothy Kent. Malcolm actually had developed a romantic relationship with Emily, quite unexpectedly some time ago, and it continued on. They managed to combine it with their professional life seamlessly.

His four associates came to the Island on a separate plane, their presence a secret because the Dark Archer sensed some of Oliver's so-called allies were bound to betray him.

Malcolm had made a point of finding out everything he could about the Island when he'd sent Thea and Oliver there when he was training them. Right before this trip, he shared the information with his friends. Maps, blueprints of buildings, the works. He had a secret commlink to them, but had ordered complete radio silence.

The ordeal they faced with Talia and Adrian Chase complicated matters significantly. He wasn't sure of his associates' current location, or if they were even alive. They were the secret aces up his sleeve, but he was not sure of anything right then. Well, only of the fact he was standing on a landmine, with enemies approaching.

Yet another time when he apparently had to face it all alone. Why wouldn't he ever learn that he could rely only upon himself?

He was never one to give up though, even in the face of odds like these. He had to strategize, but also face the risk his strategy might fail. Was he ready for… Something he'd spent so long trying to escape? Well, in his type of life it was always a possibility, after all. And if it happened, at least it would be for something that was worth it. A purpose, a promise, a goal, for… family.

What awaited him on the other side? He found himself wondering. Was there even any 'other side', or just... nothingness? His time as Resh and the Lazarus Pit resurrections suggested there was, but it seemed different for everyone. Also, he couldn't exactly ask Sara or Thea to elaborate on their time there after they returned. All he knew was what he'd gleaned from some non-specific books in the Nanda Parbat library.

So, what was hidden behind the veil? Would he see Rebecca and Tommy? Malcolm chuckled inwardly again. If one were to go with the Catholic faith and assume that Heaven and Hell existed, he surely wouldn't. One thing he had no doubt about in all this was that his wife and son definitely qualified for Heaven and that was definitely _not_ where _he_ would be going. Hell it must be, then. Funnily enough, with all that he'd been through over the years, sometimes it felt as if he already was in hell while still alive.

All the popular imagery of eternally burning in fire, being tortured by the devil and his minions, used since time immemorial to scare the faithful away from sin didn't cause Malcolm any fear. He knew there were far worse things than even the most exruciating physical pain.

He didn't really think he had much to actually live for anyway. His daughter hated him, didn't even think of him as a father. Oliver… Oliver had never hidden the fact he wouldn't forgive him for what he had done to Sara, to Thea... His mild, even respectful demeanor towards Malcolm lately, devoid of its usual hatred might be just because… the Arrow needed him as a tool? What if _this_ was what Oliver wanted? Would he care if…? Would anyone care?

Then his thoughts turned to Emily, the relationship they'd developed, to his other friends. But were they alive? Or had he lost them too?

No, he couldn't think like this. He needed to strategize, to at least try.

He relaxed his position, heard Harkness get closer and closer.

"Go after the rest!" Captain Boomerang barked to his minions.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you," Malcolm warned and something in his voice made the ninjas stop in their tracks, then start circling him instead.

"Oh, well, you don't seem too bright. You're out standing here in the open like this. What kind of backwards strategy is that?" Harkness mocked.

Malcolm slumped his shoulders then, assuming a disappointed tone of voice.

"Can't you see there's no strategy here?! They just left me and ran away." Malcolm channeled all his past grief and pushed it into his voice to make the lie more believable.

"Well perhaps you should find yourself some better friends."

"You know, I can't even remember a time when I had true friends, it-it's so far in the past." He allowed his voice to grow weaker, hoarse with resignation.

Harkness came even closer, put a hand on his shoulder. "Perhaps you could find some right here and now. You know, you're a skilled fighter, we would appreciate someone like you. True friends, that don't leave you behind."

Malcolm pretended to lean on him slightly, manuvering Harkness onto the mine ever so slowly. A glance at his boots told him the man wouldn't even sense he was stepping on a landmine, the sole of his shoe was so thick. "Really, you would offer me that?" he asked, to distract him just in case. It worked perfectly.

"Of course." Harknesss said, but Malcolm knew what a huge lie that was.

"I would like that, so much," he said and slid fully away from the mine pulling the man closer in a fake friendly embrace. Harkness was now standing on the landmine. Malcolm heard the ninjas around them sheathe their swords at his feigned display of submission.

"So, now, we will go after your false friends and end them?" Harkness asked.

"Yes, and I think I know how to do it." Malcolm flashed him a pretend smile.

"Oh?"

Malcolm drew a short breath, channeled his determination. Now was the moment to risk everything for the ones he truly loved. Thea. Oliver.

"Let me show you." He hardened his gaze, braced himself, then grabbed the man's arm, used the leverage to perform a salto and jump away. Harkness was so shocked by the manouver that he took a step.

The mine was old, so it did not explode immediately, but the blast force still managed to reach Malcolm, throwing him against a tree. He hit his head hard and the world spun as if he were on some mad rollercoaster. His entire body hurt with what felt like a thousand bruises, he didn't even have the strength to check for injuries. He leaned against the tree and looked around, fighting against his increasingly blurry vision. He noticed with satisfaction that he had managed to take out Harkness and his ninjas.

He smiled at the thought that he had fulfilled his promise to Oliver, then allowed himself to slip into blackness.

XxXxXxX

 _Lian Yu, different part of the Island._

Emily, Sabrina, Kevin and Tim slipped through the woods quietly, senses on high alert for any signs of danger, weapons at the ready.

"Kev, are you absolutely certain you landed the plane where Malcolm instructed?" Emily asked when they stopped briefly by a large rock. She put away her bow and consulted the map again. "Because it sure looks like we should be clear of this part of the forest by now, and we passed the remnants of that old camp like an hour ago."

Kevin sighed in exasperation. "For the umpteenth time, Emily, YES, I am absolutely certain. Perhaps instead of questioning my navigation skills you should make sure you're reading the map right."

Emily turned on him with a Medusa glare, huffed, then looked at the map again. "YES, I am. We should have passed a stream, then a little bit more forest and a clearing, then more forest. Now, there was no stream and no clearing. Instead we got that weird fork in the road and... what the hell is THIS doing here?! It's not on the map!" she exclaimed, indicating a path she noticed just ahead that crossed the one they were on.

"Would you guys keep it down?" Sabrina admonished and approached the path, then crouched down to examine it. "This looks new. Ems, we all know the island holds tonnes of secrets and the maps Malcolm gave us haven't been updated for about two years. We also know for a fact that it hasn't exactly been uninhabited, so the topography might have changed and he warned us that some distances are estimations."

"Great, so this thing is pretty much useless." Emily smacked the map in frustration. "Tim, I need you to activate Malcolm's commlink again."

"Ems, his instructions were clear. Only in case of emergency. He'd kill me if he knew I did that once already."

"Well, the fact you activated it made us aware of that scumbag Harkness' betrayal and gave us a sitrep on what's going on, didn't it? We can listen in without alerting him, just like before. This IS an emergency, Tim. Adrian Chase is a whacko and Talia Al Ghul is completely unpredictable. I haven't even met the woman but I already hate her. Malcolm and the rest may have been ambushed or- or worse. And our rendezvous point might have changed."

"Fine." Tim took out a small device, pressed a few keys and the commlinks came back to life.

There was some crackling, sounds of multiple footsteps. Then they heard Malcolm.

"I've travelled halfway across the world to rescue you. I thought it would at least entitle me to a conversation."

"Yeah, well, it doesn't," came Thea's petulant voice.

Emily rolled her eyes. She was well aware of Malcolm's history with his daughter, of her stubborn refusal to forgive him, despite his best efforts at redemption, despite the numerous times he'd rescued her. She was also aware of how much he loved Thea, how much her rejection pained him. Just one look at his face when they met always sufficed to let Emily know he'd been to see Thea and received another dose of filial hatred. Emily tried to help him through it as best she could.

She was one of the very few who had seen the true Malcolm Merlyn, the heart that yes, still existed under the steely facade of coldness and cruelty he had to show the rest of the world to survive and protect those he loved. Despite his undeniable mistakes and the atrocities he had commited, he was a good person. Emily would not have fallen in love with him so completely if it were otherwise.

The fact that his own daughter, his own blood couldn't see his true nature, was beyond her understanding.

"Did it ever occur to you that I am here because I'm your father?" Malcolm asked. And there it was. That blink-and-you-miss-it tinge of sadness in his voice.

"No you're not. We really are nothing to each other, don't you understand that?!"

Emily winced. That must have felt like a dagger in his heart and since she shared this uncanny connection with him, she felt it too. _Oh, what an ungrateful little brat!_ Emily thought angrily. If she'd been there, she would have slapped the girl across the face.

There was a sudden silence on the other side, then she heard Malcolm inform the others that Thea just activated a landmine. _Awesome. What kind of an idiot walks through hostile territory without watching where they step?!_

Emily's angry thoughts were interrupted by Malcolm's announcement he was going to take Thea's place on the mine. She froze. _Oh, no. Hell, no._ She started to lift her hand to her ear to activate the transmission mode of her commlink, but Kevin grabbed her and stopped the movement. She turned to him in protest, but his grip remained firm as he shook his head. _You know better than to interfere._ Emily lowered her hand resignedly. She knew he was right. There was no way anyone could persuade Malcolm not to protect his daughter, whatever the cost to himself. She could only hope the others in Malcolm's group could find an alternative way to solve the situation.

Suddenly, there was a commotion on the other side of the line.

"What the hell are you doing?" came Thea's shocked exclamation.

"I'm gonna take care of them, disarm the mine, and I'll catch up with you," Malcolm responded, sounding a little out of breath.

"Yeah, how are you gonna do that with one foot planted on the-" Felicity piped up.

Emily's world suddenly became very, very small.

So he had done it. Of course he would. It didn't take a scientist to figure out Malcolm had somehow forced Thea off the landmine and was now standing on it himself. And the 'them' he'd referred to, it was obvious what _that_ meant. They were being pursued by the enemy. And Malcolm couldn't move.

Emily listened to the rest of the conversation as if it were some sort of a bad dream. She vaguely noted the mortified expressions on her friends' faces as they did the same. There was nothing they could do to help. Even if they spoke to Malcolm now, there was no way they could pinpoint his location without GPS, or get there in time to make any difference.

Emily's heart sank even further when she heard the sound of Malcolm's companions running away, then his slow, deep breaths. A warrior, preparing himself to die in battle. It was so familiar, so close to her heart, and yet so distant.

Then she heard another set of footsteps approaching, followed by Harkness' smug remarks. Her heart almost shattered at Malcolm's sad, broken tone when he responded. She forced herself to listen anyway and quickly became aware of Malcolm's tactic. He was luring Harkness and his goons in, as close as possible, to take them out and protect those that had left him behind. He was the shield, the lone guardian that would destroy himself to protect those who'd given him nothing but hatred and then left him behind with so little persuasion.

 _Oh, Malcolm_.

Emily looked around desperately, took a few steps forward, then stopped and changed direction, stopped again, swiveling from side to side in a futile attempt to figure out where to go, the desire to do _something,_ to get a clue where Malcolm might be. The sound of his voice in the comm as he spoke to Harkness made it seem as if he was right there, next to her and it drove her mad that she couldn't see him or touch him. It was the most excruciating form of torture the universe could have ever come up with.

"Let me show you," Malcolm said to Harkness, clearly pretending to go along with the man's plan of killing Oliver's team.

Suddenly, they heard a deafening roar of an explosion. The woods around them echoed with the sound. Smoke appeared above the trees in the far distance to their left.

"MALCOLM!" Emily screamed. She quickly pressed the transmission button on her commlink and kept calling his name. Silence.

She let out a mixed cry of grief and frustration, then grabbed her bow and started running in the direction of the smoke. She disregarded whatever her companions were shouting after her as they followed. All she heard was the wild thumping of her own heart as she jumped over boulders and rocks.

Small branches of bushes and trees whipped her across the face, but she didn't even feel the pain. She admitted vaguely that she was displaying even more stupidity than Thea by not looking where she was going in a territory such as this, but she was beyond caring. A perverse thought hit her. If the worst had actually happened, if Malcolm was really… Then she would search for another mine and step on it deliberately herself.

Life just had no meaning for her without him. Over the years, he had become the absolute center of her universe. First he was her employer and mentor, a man she greatly respected and admired.

Yet, it wasn't long before their uncanny connection became obvious and the relationship progressed to something she had never experienced before. She'd never thought any sort of romance was in store for her, had given up on it in her early twenties after a series of disappointments and increasing disillusionment with basically everything.

Meeting Malcolm changed all of that. Her entire world shifted. Suddenly it had a purpose, it made sense. And the word 'romance' seemed like a cheap and cheesy way to describe her relationship with him. What they had was so much more. They understood each other on a deep, instinctive level that sometimes seemed almost supernatural. Neither of them was looking for a partner, and yet, during their first meeting something simply clicked, as if, even before they consciously realized it, their souls had recognized each other and whispered, ' _Ah, there you are.'_

With Malcolm by her side, she felt she could accomplish anything she wanted, weather any storm. He challenged and encouraged her, helped her overcome self-doubt and achieve things she never thought she would. He showed her love after she'd almost resigned herself to the fact she wouldn't find any.

His indomitable spirit never ceased to amaze and insipre her. His courage and refusal to give up, even in the face of overwhelming odds made him seem like an unstoppable force of nature. Thanks to Malcolm, after years of feeling as if life was just going through the motions, Emily finally felt happy.

Had all of it been taken away, snuffed out just minutes ago with that ugly, soul-splitting roar of an explosion?

" _Let me show you,"_ Malcolm's voice echoed in her ears. Her mind flashed back to when he had spoken these very same words to _her_ so many times before, when they practiced combat techniques together, when he helped her increase her skills. And on other occasions too, when they travelled around the world on various missions and managed to sneak in some alone time, away from the madness around them. He'd show her breathtaking landscapes, surprise her with spur-of-the-moment trips, encourage her to try new experiences.

Were those precious words the last she'd ever hear from him, spoken to a scumbag of an enemy, right before… Emily choked on her tears. She came to a halt and leaned against a tree, breathing heavily. Her mind was ablaze with images of Malcolm.

The way he'd smile at her from across the table at dinner when they clinked their wine glasses, the surreptitious wink and sideways grin he'd throw her after they'd defeated an enemy during a mission. How he knew exactly what to do to comfort her in her moments of sadness or despair. How he would occassionally stand at the window and stare away into the distance, deep in thought, a myriad of subtle expressions flashing across his face... She'd learned to read them and loved each and every one.

He sometimes seemed to carry the weight of the world on his shoulders and yet never complained. No matter what fate threw his way, how it tried to break him or how many times it caused him to fall down, he always found a way to rise again. He imparted that unique skill to her unlike any self-help book or psychology course ever could. All it took was a few conversations, but nothing spoke louder than his actions, the way he just naturally led by example.

 _Fate._ This word, a word she vehemently hated, returned to her mind. Her mouth twisted in anger and contempt. Why was it so cruel to so many people? Why did it maim them and destroy their lives? Why had it been so unjust to Malcolm? He was an innocent person before his wife was torn from him. Emily was no stranger to sudden, unexplained loss herself, so she understod why he'd reacted the way he had. And despite all the killing and everything he had done since, he'd managed to retain his soul, no matter what other people claimed. Today, he finally proved it to them, once and for all, the blind fools that they were. But did it have to cost him his life? Emily's breath hitched and her entire body spasmed. No, this couldn't end like this. This was just... hell.

' _If you're going through hell, just keep going.'_ One of Malcolm's favourite sayings rang in her ears. Emily straightened up and looked at the sky. The ugly smoke taunted her with its macabre dance. In that moment, it represented everything she abhorred. Fate. Loss. Injustice. Broken dreams.

' _Keep going.'_

Emily wiped away her tears, her gaze turning from sad to steely as she stared the smoke down. It was beginning to disperse. There was no time to dawdle. Whatever awaited her, wherever this beacon of doom was leading her, she had to get there and face it. She strenghtened her grip on her bow and broke into a run again.

' _Keep going.'_ It was like a melody or a chant deep inside her that made her push on, run faster and faster, despite the burning in her lungs and the wild drumming of her heart in her ears.

' _Keep going.'_

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, Emily cleared the densest part of the forest. The smoke was now just meters away. She could feel the change in the air; her eyes stung from its effects. Suddenly, she emerged onto a wide path and found herself looking at a small crater right in the middle of it.

The smoke was mostly coming from the smoldering branches of bushes and other undergrowth, not the crater itself. She approached it slowly and took in the macabre landscape. Charred and bloody pieces of human flesh were mixed with torn clothing, startlingly white pieces of bones sticking out from the disrupted ground. On the other side of the crater, she noticed black-clad, grotesquely twisted bodies of the ninjas that were clerly far enough from the mine not to get blown into pieces like… like anyone who had actually stood on it.

Fighting her increasing nausea, Emily crouched by the edge of the crater and stared into it again, carefully taking in every sickening detail, analysing the colour of the rags around the various bodyparts. The smell of burned flesh made her retch, but she coughed it away and kept searching for any sign of the familiar material of Malcolm's unifom. Suddenly, her eyes fell onto something else. She blinked several times as she studied the black object at the bottom of the crater. Emily dropped her weapon and jumped inside. She knelt and grabbed the object, desperately hoping it wasn't what she thought it was. And yet, the unmistakeable shape told her she had guessed correctly.

It was the lower part of Malcolm's bow, broken off just above the grip. She still refused to believe it, but the oh so familiar vertical gash on the weapon's limb caused by an enemy's scimitar during one of their missions cruelly removed all doubt. Emily let out an almost animal-like cry of anguish and started crawling in the dirt, grabbing one piece of flesh after another, ripping the rags away.

Black, all black ninja clothes, some black leather, but none of Malcolm's charcoal League uniform. She couldn't be sure though, her vision was blurred by tears and dirt and the rags were covered in dirt and ash, burned. She couldn't know for certain. She kept on crawling in a mad frenzy, her shaking hands dripping with blood and covered in tissue. She barely registered the squishing of trampled flesh and the guttural sounds emitted by her own throat.

Suddenly, she felt a hand on her arm and her entire body jerked violently in surprise.

"Emily, Emily, Ems!" She turned to the speaker, wild eyed and confused. It was Sabrina, kneeling beside her, her face ashen with shock and concern. "Emily, what are you-" She broke off when Emily crawled away rapidly, grabbed something then turned back towards her.

"Look, Bri, look!"

"Oh, dear Lord!" Sabrina exclaimed as she recognized the object Emily was holding.

"Bri, y-you need to help me. I-I can't find… There's just these black rags… He… he's not here, I-can't see his- I…" Emily was still patting the ground frantically, slapping Sabrina's hands away.

There was a thud right next to them. Kevin. He helped Sabrina practically manhandle Emily into a standing position, then forced her to climb out of the crater. She tried to wriggle away from them and jump back in.

"D-don't you understand? I wasn't finished, I h-have to find him, I have t-to-" She broke off suddenly and sank into Sabrina's arms as if all of her strength gave out. Bri held her close and rubbed her back gently, tears starting to stream down her face as well.

Emily breathed in the scent of her friend's leathers and struggled to regain some clarity. Finally, she straightened herself up and took a small step backwards, still clinging to Sabrina's arm, holding the broken piece of Malcolm's bow tightly in her other hand. Kevin and Tim were standing nearby, haunted expressions on their faces. Nobody said a word.

XxXxXxX

The chaotic despair in Emily's mind was replaced by a kind of surreal stupor. She caressed the grip of the bow and tried to take a deep breath, but her lungs seemed to be constricted, unable to hold enough air. Her senses were selectively hyper-alert to certain stimuli. The red of the blood, the blackness of the rags and the dirt, the green of the surrounding forest, the spitingly cheerful blue of the sky. The feel of the broken weapon in her hand, the warmth of Sabrina's arm, the breath of wind on her skin.

Wait. Wind and clear blue skies? Emily's stupor shifted suddenly and she noticed that the smoke had cleared. The visibility was now incomparably better than when she'd arrived. She looked around again. Red, black, blue, green. So much green...

Charcoal.

Emily shook her head slightly and blinked several times to focus her gaze. She gasped. There seemed to be a charcoal-clad figure slumped against a tree some distance to their left. Emily squezed her eyes shut for a few seconds to make sure her imagination and wishful thinking weren't playing tricks on her. No, the figure was still there. She let out a stifled cry and started running towards the tree. She fell onto her knees next to it, but even before she turned the man onto his back, she knew it was _him_.

"Malcolm!" Emily put her hands on his cheeks gently. His eyes were closed, blood trickled from a gash on his forehead. He wasn't moving. Emily reached to check for a pulse, but her own heart was thumping so wildly that she couldn't sense anything else. She tried to see if he was breathing, but her hands were shaking too much. She was useless. All she could observe for certain was the unnatural pallor of his skin.

"Emily, move aside a little, I'm going to check on him." Kevin. She'd been so preoccupied with her discovery she hadn't even heard the others arrive just seconds after her. She shifted her position. Kevin had been recruited by the CIA straight from med school, so he was best equipped to examine Malcolm. He crouched next to the archer's slumped form and pressed his fingers to Malcolm's neck. The whole world seemed to hold its breath, seconds stretched into eternity.

"He's alive, but his pulse is weak. Let me see if he has any other injuries."

Emily slumped against the tree next to Malcolm in relief, holding onto his right forearm, wishing to transfer her own lifeforce to him in some supernatural way to help him fight on. She couldn't look away from his face. After thinking she'd never see him again, each tiny detail of his features was like a rediscovered, most precious treasure. She removed his glove and intertwined her fingers with his, gently caressing his hand. His skin was warm, so she took it as a good sign and let Kevin contiue the examination.

"Uh-oh," he said after a while.

"What is it?" Emily crouched closer again.

Kevin retrieved a medkit from his backpack and indicated a nasty gash in Malcolm's left thigh. A piece of metal was sticking out of it, blood drenching the trouser leg. Emily inhaled sharply as she noticed there was a pool of it sinking into the ground as well.

"Probably shrapnel from the mine. I can't remove it here. It might have nicked an artery and he'd bleed out. A tourniquet will have to do for now," Kevin explained, then took out the necessary items from the medkit.

"Oh, no," Emily said as she noticed that Malcolm's suit was also covered in blood on the right side of his abdomen, the leather torn. She examined it gingerly and noted with relief that it seemed to be only a flesh wound. The Kevlar vest Malcolm always wore under his suit had mitigated the damage from whatever lethal piece of metal the mine had sent flying.

Kevin finished applying the tourniquet, glanced at the wound in Malcolm's right side and confirmed Emily's diagnosis. "Damn, these mines are all sorts of weird-you-out nasty," he commented as he reached for more bandages. "I've seen some sick shit in my days at the Agency, but this just takes the cake. It's like an anti-personnel and anti-tank mine thrown into one and then put on steroids."

Emily just shook her head mutely and started cleaning the gash on Malcolm's forehead, then moved on to other minor scrapes and bruises.

XxXxXxX

Sabrina and Tim had returned to the road to make sure there were no more enemies arriving, and to secure the perimeter. They circled the crater, weapons at the ready. Tim shot a glance at Sabrina, noticed the tracks tears had made in the dirt on her cheeks. She wasn't crying now, her gaze determined and focused; her black and red bow ready to shoot at a moment's notice.

She didn't express her emotions as openly as Emily, but he knew that the entire situation had hit her just as hard, albeit in a slightly different way. Malcolm was her best friend and mentor. She often displayed character traits similar to the Dark Archer - stubborn and cold when necessary, firm and steady in her convictions, but at the same time warm and caring, capabe of every sacrifice for those she held dear.

"Hey, Bri, you okay? It was um, pretty intense down there in the crater with Emily," he asked, moving a little closer, his Beretta directed at a particularly dense cluster of bushes that rustled in the wind.

"Yes, but what _hasn't_ been intense lately? And I'll be okay once we get off this hellhole of an island. I mean, I love nature and landscapes, but there is something majorly iffy about this place."

"Oh yeah, bad ju-ju in the air. This place gives me the creeps even when it's bathed in sunshine. They could definitely shoot a crazy-ass horror movie in here someday and they wouldn't even need props. It reminds me of this sick game I once played online with-"

"Shhh," Bri hushed him as they came closer to the cluster of twisted bodies lying near the far edge of the crater. "I think I heard something." She took a few steps forward, passed a large boulder and stopped suddenly when she saw a black clad masked figure of a ninja impaled upon one of the branches of a fallen tree trunk. He'd clearly been thrown there by the landmine's blast force. And, unfortunately, survived the fall. Bri grimaced at the guttural moan that escaped the doomed creature. The very thing that was keeping him alive now was the very reason of his impending demise.

Sabrina crouched by the figure and removed the mask. She noticed with shock it was a very young man, probably Chinese, barely in his twenties. His eyes flashed with pure fury and hatred, and despite his mortal wound, he still snapped his hand out and tried to grab her by the neck. Bri swatted it away with no effort, then pinned both of his hands to the ground, her temper flaring at his fanatical, animalistic behavior. He tried to writhe away stubbornly, causing even more damage to his already destroyed internal organs.

"Get… away… from… me, you bitch!" He said with a thick Asian accent.

Bri just rolled her eyes at the invective and took out a dagger from her boot, then pressed it to the boy's throat. She wasn't a person who'd torture a fallen, defenseless enemy just because they offended her with their expletives, but she had an idea of how to try to make the best of this hopeless situation. She cupped his head in her hand, the dagger still pressed firmly against his neck, drawing the smallest trickle of blood.

The hatred in his eyes was replaced by the briefest flash of panic.

"Listen, whatever your name is," Bri said in an even, matter of fact tone, "As I'm sure you've noticed, you've had a very unfortunate encounter with this tree branch here and to put it bluntly, you are a goner. However, what you do not realize is that dying from a wound like yours can take a long time. I know you're in a lot of pain. I can help you. The only thing you need to do is tell me what your masters are planning for my friends and where they're hiding. I promise you won't have to suffer then. I'll end it quickly."

The boy looked at her for a moment, then turned his head to the side and gazed in the direction of the tree where Kevin and Emily were tending to Malcolm's wounds. Suddenly, he started laughing. Bri almost withdrew in shock, but managed to keep her cool. "What's so funny?"

The ninja's cackles were broken off by a fit of coughing.

"Y-you," he gasped when it finally subsided, eyes still fixed on Malcolm. "You think you're so lucky because your friend there survived a _mine_ explosion?" He snorted. "There's so much worse in store." He turned back to look at her, his gaze intense. "You're all going to die out here." He used her surprise to grab her hand and plunge the dagger deep into his neck. Blood squirted from the wound, his body convulsed violently, then went still.

"Freaking hell!" Tim exclaimed.

Bri looked at the rapidly spreading pool of bood on the ground, then shook her head, retrieved her dagger and got up. "Well, he wasn't going to spill his bosses' secrets anyway." She wiped the dagger and shoved it back into her boot. "But, he might have revealed more than he wanted. The way he made light of the mine explosion and how certain he was that we were all going to die here…"

"Might be just a fanatic's blind faith in the omnipotence of his masters." Tim suggested.

"I don't think so. There's something in the way he said it, it's just…" Bri started walking towards the trees, stepping carefully, eyes glued to the ground.

"You think there's more mines here?" Tim said as he followed her.

"Or worse. Adrian Chase is completely unpredictable, for all we know he might have... Wait." She stopped suddenly, then indicated a large boulder in the middle of a small clearing. "Doesn't this look a tad unnatural to you?"

"Yeah, kind of."

They approached the rock and noticed that the ground around it was recently disturbed. Bri crouched down and cautiously moved some of the dirt aside.

"Shit," she exclaimed when she saw a rectangular object buried just beneath the surface, connected to a bunch of cables.

"C4." Tim knelt next to her and helped her dig. The cables led to another stack of C4, then another and another, all the way to the tree line and beyond. "I can't find a triggering mechanism anywhere. The bloody thing just goes on and on like some twisted version of a Christmas tree garland."

Bri got up and turned away from the boulder. "This is useless. We better go tell the others."

XxXxXxX

"Alright, I think we've got all the major wounds patched up," Kevin said as he rolled the sleeve of Malcolm's uniform back down.

Emily nodded and put her hand gently on Malcolm's chest. She didn't know if it was just her wishful thinking, but his breathing seemed to be stronger and more even. She pressed her fingers to his wrist and detected a faint pulse. He still wasn't showing any signs of regaining consciousness, though.

Kevin seemed to have read her mind. "Ems, it might take some time before he wakes up. We've stopped the bleeding, that's a good thing. It's best if we let him rest for a while."

"I'm afraid that's not an option, Kev," Bri said as she and Tim approached them, both wearing morose expressions on their faces.

"What do you mean?" Emily frowned.

"We've just had a 'chat' with one of Talia Al Ghul's ninjas. No time to explain everything now. Suffice it to say, we have to get the hell out of here. We found stacks of C4 buried on the other side of the crater, all connected to what Tim thinks is a remote detonator. I bet if we searched here we'd find some too. The couple from hell probably has the entire island rigged. We need to head back to our plane as fast as possible."

"We really shouldn't move him just yet. He definitely has a concussion and probably other internal injuries we aren't even aware of. Ems hasn't been able to wake him up." Kevin ran his hand through his hair in frustration.

Emily kept her gaze fixed on Malcolm's face, weighing their options. What would _he_ do in her place right now?

"Bri's right," she said finally, her voice surprisingly level. It was something she had learned from the Dark Archer. In certain situations, it was best to quench one's emotions and think analytically.

Kevin started to protest, but she raised her hand to silence him.

"Even if he has internal injuries, we can't identify or treat them here, Kev. And the longer they remain untreated, the worse he may get."

It was hard to quarrel with that argument, so Kevin just nodded as Emily retrieved a map of the island from her pouch. "Bri, you said it's a remote trigger, so I guess there was no timer on this thing?"

"Nope, there wasn't, and it figures. Chase probably wants to make sure he and his whacko allies are safely off the island before he presses the switch."

Emily nodded, studying the map. "So, we don't know how much time we have left and I'm guessing it's not enough. We can't go back to the plane, Bri." She sighed. "It's too far and for all we know the terrain around it is probably rigged as well."

"Well, then, where the the hell _can_ we go?" Bri exclaimed in exasperation, peering over her friend's shoulder.

"Here." Emily indicated a red-marked spot on the map. "According to Malcolm's research, it's an old Chinese prison with extensive underground facilities and an anti-nuclear bunker built for the guards and any politicians that might be visiting. Now, I'm not an expert on explosives, but I guess if it can withstand a nuke, C4 won't be much of a problem?"

"Correct," Tim confirmed." And it should also have a medical wing."

"That we can only find out once we get there, but its four times closer to here than our plane," Bri said. "And medical wing or not, we will be much safer there than out here in the open like this. Let's not forget that aside from the C4 we might have another ninja ambush team to deal with soon if we stay put."

Tim nodded, then his brow furrowed as his gaze travelled towards Kevin, who had resumed his attempts to wake the Dark Archer up, to no avail. "And how do we transport Malcolm? He's still unconscious."

"Kinda hard to find a stretcher in the forest," Bri admitted.

"We're NOT leaving him, if that's what you two are suggesting!" Emily exclaimed, her eyes flashing.

"No one's suggesting that Ems," Bri said in a calming voice.

"There might be a way to wake him up, but it's risky," Kevin added after a beat.

"Tell me." Emily's tone brooked no objection.

"A shot of epinephrine. It would cause an immediate release of a major dose of adrenaline into his system. He'd be conscious and able to move, almost impervious to pain, but it also might result in a heart attack or other complications later on, given that we can't estimate the full extent of his injuries. Ems, I hate to pressure you, but we need to make a decision. And ultimately, I think this particuar choice should be yours."

Emily looked at Malcolm, conflicted thoughts running through her mind with the speed of lightning. It was a 'damned if you do, damned if you don't' type of scenario, multiplied times a gazillion. She could lose him either way and she wasn't prepared for that. She would never be prepared for that. There was no her without him, no life, no world, no moving on. Ever.

There was only one option, really.

"Give him the injection, Kevin," Emily said.

He nodded curtly and took out the injection gun. He pressed it to Malcolm's left thigh.

Emily squeezed her eyes shut, her fists clenched so tightly she felt her nails break the skin of her palms.

Time had come to risk it all.

XxXxXxX

Malcolm sat up with a gasp and looked around in confusion. His heart was racing and his senses were ten times sharper than usual, kicking in all at once, overwhelming him with their onslaught. Colours were more vivid, sounds louder and clearer. Despite the sunshine pouring from the sky, his veins felt as if they were filled with ice. He heard the hum of blood in his ears and felt a pressing urge to move. His hands were shaking, but he managed to lift himself up, barely noticing the arm that wrapped itself around his shoulder and helped him remain upright. Everything seemed to be more intense and yet distant, as if separated by a pane of glass. It was weird and contradictive.

"Easy, easy," Kevin's calming voice helped to get him in touch with reality.

The last thing he remembered was the deafening roar of the mine exploding and the agonizing pain as his body was tossed against the tree. Funnily enough, he didn't feel any pain now. No, to be quite frank, he couldn't be sure of what he felt, there was just so much his brain was trying to process at once.

"Malcolm!" Suddenly he found himself in a passionate and yet gentle embrace, breathing in the familiar scent of Emily's skin as she planted butterfly kisses on his face and whispered "You're here, you're here, tell me this isn't a dream! I've got you, I found you. Tell me you're here, Malcolm, tell me you're here, tell me this is not just a dream!"

He wrapped his arms around her and kissed her back. Nothing felt distant anymore. Her touch was like a breath of life, a hammer that broke the invisible glass that separated him from the world, a spark that ignited the fire inside.

"It's not a dream. I'm here, Emily. I'm here." He cupped her cheeks in his hands and stared into her stormy blue-grey eyes, wiped away the tears that were streaming down her face.

"Malcolm. My utmost, my everything."

"Emily."

"Never let me go."

"Never. Promise."

"We need to get moving, guys."

Malcolm nodded as Kevin put his hand on his arm.

"Ok, folks ya do your kissy kissy stuff when we get to safety," Tim winked.

"Yeah, behave!" Bri said in a commanding tone.

"Ok, ok!" Emily responded, focusing on the map. "We aren't exactly in the perfect circumstances!"

"Understatement of the year!" Sabrina exclaimed.

"Women!" Kevin and Timothy sighed in exasperated unison.

"To the prison we go, then. And wow, Tim, did I just say that?!"

"Yep," his friend confirmed.

"Awesome."

XxXxXxX

It took them quite a while to make their way to the underground entrance, Kevin and Tim kept supporting Malcolm, Emily and Sabrina with their bows at the ready.

Emily shushed Tim when he tried to start up his tablet. "There might be enemies here!"

Bri just knocked it away from his hands.

"Thanks, Sabrina, a thousand dollars just went out the window!"

"You're welcome! She just saved your ass; she knows what she's doing!" Emily shouted, supporting her friend.

"Okay," Kevin exclaimed.

"Shut up, then!" Sabrina shouted back.

"No hating on the tablets, you two!" Timothy protested.

"No one's hating, just being sensible," Emily said.

"Yeah." Sabrina confirmed. "Let's go, all of ya! We've dallied long enough!"

"Hang on," Emily said quietly, moving ahead of the group, preparing her bow. "We made enough noise just now to alert whoever might be here."

Kevin and Timothy took several steps back, guns at the ready.

Sabrina and Emily looked around as they went further into the compound. It was quiet and calm, but Kevin took out his flashligt anyway. "So far, so good," he said as they met no resistance.

"Don't jinx it!" Sabrina whispered.

"Ok, stop quarreling, we need to get to the medbay ASAP!" Emily said, trying not to shout.

Kevin and Tim nodded, seeing that Malcolm seemed increasingly weak.

Sabrina and Emily kept looking around the desolate place until they found the entrance that said "Medical wing." It was completely abandoned, but well-equipped and the electricity worked too. There were syringes scattered on the floor and tables, the whole place in somewhat of a disarray.

"This actually might be a good thing," Kevin commented. "Means whoever has been here left in a hurry some time ago with no intention of coming back."

He and Timothy helped Malcolm onto a bed. The Dark Archer's breath came in shallow and slow, his gaze unfocused. Kevin checked his pulse again and shook his head with worry. The epinephrine was wearing off. He took off Malcolm's shirt and connected him to a heart monitor as Timothy opened the medical cabinet and found several cases of IV fluid.

"Oh," he sighed with relief and took out a needle and disinfectant, then connected Malcolm to a drip.

The Dark Archer did not seem to get better. Emily sat down on the bed next to him.

"What else can we do?" Sabrina asked. "We need to at least somehow remove that ugly piece of metal from his leg."

"Easier said than done. That piece of metal lodged in there is probably near his femoral artery. We might nick it if we try to remove it, it could cut that and then he'd bleed out within seconds; however we have to do this anyway cause leaving it there won't help. I have an idea, though. Just wait a second, I need to search throuh these drawers for a coagulant. Oh, here it is!" Kevin took out a vial and a syringe, filled it with the liquid and made the injection. He waited a few minutes before he grabbed the pincers and carefully pulled out the piece of metal, keeping pressure above Malcolm's tourniquet.

The Dark Archer sighed in pain as Emily squeezed his hand.

"Ok,so we are done with that." Kevin dropped the abnormally large piece of metal into a bowl Timothy gave him.

Sabrina covered her mouth to stifle her exclamation. "Damn, that thing is huge!"

Emily just shook her head in shock.

Kevin looked at them with an expression of worry.

"Girls, please don't panic, but I think he may have a concussion. This level of pain should have woken him up."

"Oh no," Emily exclaimed, then lay down next to him. "How can we help him?"

"We need to wait. The best option is the IV, but that takes time to work."

"Ok. The exertion of the run didn't help any, I guess."

"Nope, but there was no other choice."

"There wasn't." Kevin confirmed. "Ems, there is an MRI machine here, it will help us to check for any internal injuries after he has his IV."

"Okay."

It seemed as if the IV took forever to drop. Sabrina sighed in exasperation as she paced the room, while all Emily could do was stubbornly stare at each drop of the liquid slowly making its way into Malcolm's vein.

"Ok, Tim, help me move him to the MRI machine," Kevin said when the drip finished and he switched on the screen.

Timothy obliged and soon the scan was underway.

"Hm," Kevin sighed. "The concussion is a given, and severeal fractured ribs too. I was afraid of a punctured lung, but there's no sign of that. Oh shit, and the bone of his right thigh has a tiny fracture. So it's not the vein that's damaged. "

"The news just keeps getting better and better," Emily sighed, putting her hand on Malcolm's cheek.

Well, actually Emily it's good news. It would be worse if the vein was punctured. The bone, we can stabilise in many ways."

"I'm sorry Ems, it will probably take several hours before he wakes up. But the good news is, we seem to have all the meds we need here. And Tim?! How's the kitchen situation?" Kevin asked Timothy who had exited to check out their provisions.

"Mostly canned food, but it should last us like two weeks. And I saw some herbs and stuff on our way here."

"Awesome."

"I think we might have to forget the herbs and stuff for a while," Sabrina said in a suspicious tone.

"What?"

"Just listen."

There was a sinister sound of things exploding above and the entire compound shook, even this far underground as it was.

"Adrian Chase and Talia frikking Al Ghul." Emily sighed.

"Well, no surprise there. We knew they were about to blow the whole island up," Kevin said.

"Doesn't make it okay," Emily grumbled.

"Well, Emily, none of us had a problem with the Undertaking, and most of the people endangered are the ones you hate, like Thea for example." Kevin grinned at his own wit.

Emily approached him, squeezing her dagger in her hand.

"Say that to me again!" she exclaimed as the tremors in the compound grew in strength, almost as powerful as her growl.

"Um." Kevin withdrew in the face of her anger."Sorry, Ems, I didn't mean to offend you."

"No! We all went into the Undertaking fully aware of what it would do, that we all agreed, regardless of Moira and Robert Queen or Frank Chen, or Kyle, we were the aces up Malcolm's sleeve and now you seem to say you are not one of the team?! Have you forgotten what this has always been about? Have you forgotten how your sister died? How my friend died, how Tim's cousin died? How Malcolm's wife died?! How much Bri sacrificed?! Are you that delusional?!"

"Emily, calm down, please!" Kevin exclaimed as the tremors in the room increased.

"No, I won't! You started this! Calling me out on hating Thea, really, Kevin?! You heard on the commlinks what she said to her own father! Whatever he did earlier, I KNOW his reasons, I know him better than anyone of you! He loves her beyond life itself, I thought you realized that! Have you met me yesterday, Kevin, has our friendship been just a fluke?!"

"Emily, no, I didn't want to hurt you."

"Well, you have, so congratulations. And now u made me feel like a bitch 'cause I went with he Undertaking and made yourself a hypocrite in the process 'cause you went with it as well."

"I don't regret taking part in the Undertaking," Kevin said.

"Could have fooled me with what you said just now," Emily exclaimed.

"Please, don't doubt me, Emily. This entire situation is just… taking a toll on my nerves. I worry about Malcolm, about you and Timothy and Sabrina, about Malcolm's daughter, about all of us, I want you to be safe and okay."

Emily approached him slowly and just hugged him spontaneously.

"Thanks, Kev. I'm sorry for blowing up on ya like that. This thing is taking a toll on all of us."

"Yeah." Kevin rubbed her back and whispered a few words that he knew would comfort her.

The tremors increased suddenly, became beyond violent. It seemed as if the entire compound was about to collapse on them.

Kevin grabbed Emily and Timothy did the same with Sabrina, then they all moved to Malclm's bed.

Small bits of concrete dropped down on them and it seemed that the ceiling was about to collapse.

"This isn't going well," Emily said as she lay down on the bed next to Malcolm.

"We need to get some cover!" Sabrina shouted, picking up one of the huge towels, then a few other ones and throwing them on Malcolm and Emily, then Kevin and Timothy, then finally on herself.

The entire room shook, the glass in the medical cases shattered, increasing the noise.

One explosion followed another, followed by a series of tremors.

"Okay, I truly really HATE this!" Emily exclaimed.

Her protest made no difference whatsoever.

Armageddon was in full swing.

XxXxXxX

 _Authors note:_ Here it is, the next chapter. OC characters made a major appearance, lots of Malcolm as well.

Review please.

And enjoy yourselves people!

I know I am!


	3. Wasteland

Undefeated: Chapter 3: Wasteland

Author's note: We continue on the journey, people! We start this thing here after the island explodes. I have done my research on C4 so Chase couldn't have sunk the entire Lian Yu, just most of the surface of it.

Follow me and see what happens!

Warnings: some language, martial arts violence

Enjoy!

XxXxXxX

 _Lian You, Chinese Prison_

 **E** mily didn't know when the noises of the explosion died down. Malcolm's calming breath had lulled her into a restorative sleep earlier than that. She woke up and looked at her love. She touched his cheek and after a while, he woke up too and smiled at her.

"Hi," she said.

"Hi." He smiled back, his voice a little too weak for her liking.

"You ok?" she asked, snuggling up to him gently.

"Um, I think so. My head hurts a little." His gaze travelled towards Kevin and Bri. The sounds of water in the shower made him ask with a knowing smile, "Tim doing his usual bathroom routine? Taking way too much time? I know how much that annoys you."

"Yeah, well. I've gotten used to that. More important things to discuss though. You have a concussion," Emily said, squeezing his hand.

"I've been through worse," Malcolm chuckled, then his face turned serious and concerned. "Thea?"

"She seems to have escaped, after your whole 'kill Digger Harkness and Talia's ninjas' scenario."

"Ah, so you eavesdropped on me through the commlinks? Which I explicitly told you NOT to do."

"And you really thought I would obey?" Emily cocked her brow.

"Hm, nope, I guess."

"To be quite honest, Malcolm, your daughter is somewhat of a bitch."

"That's rather harsh, Emily."

"Just speaking my mind. Neither she nor Oliver have exactly been kind to you."

"Perhaps I did not deserve it. However, Oliver has actually been surprisingly kind since we landed here."

"Really? How so?"

"I can't quite put my finger on it." Malcolm sighed in confusion. "He just... it was as if things were back to when we cooperated on defeating Ra's two years ago. He seemed to trust me again. He was kind, despite of what I had done with Damien Dahrk. It felt as if he was my son again, although I know now he'd never think of me like that; I'm not delusional. But… he depended on me the way he had then. It was like a dream come true." He smiled wistfully, then sighed again. "I'm worried about him, Emily. Worried that Chase or Talia might have gotten to him."

Emily took his prosthetic hand into hers gently, "So you feel that way about him after he did this?"

"He might have done much worse. I plunged him into a world of pain... Emily, I can't even begin to describe what my actions caused him to go through. I hold no grudges against him; I have no right, and he is a good boy, deep down inside. His heart's in the right place. And I did hurt him. I can't even imagine what suffering this island, the place I banished him to for such a long time, has caused him to endure. The echoes of what I've done all those years ago, and then afterwards; to Oliver, to Tommy, to Sara, to Thea; to even earlier, Robert, to people who thought of me as a friend. The chain of events I have set in motion," Malcolm stared away into the distance, guilt painted on his face. "And now, because of me, Oliver might be…" His voice broke off with grief.

"Don't think that; don't do that to yourself," Emily whispered. "Paradoxically, if anything, what you did to him has made him a survivor, made him stronger. I had known him before all that, a brief brush on the Starling party scene. None of my friends, nor I, wanted to have anything to do with him. Spoiled brat, we used to call him. So, in a paradoxical way, you might have done him a favour."

"A cruel favour, Emily. We all make silly mistakes in our youth. And the kind of mistakes he or Tommy made... They didn't deserve the kind of pain that followed. I know I failed Tommy and Thea as a father; in some way I failed my wife and Oliver as well. I focused on being a killer, an assassin because it was the easy road to take, to stifle my own pain, while they still suffered. And some paid the ultimate price for my selfishness."

Emily put her arm on his shoulder.

"Don't do this to yourself, Malcolm. Don't go on this guilt trip that serves no one. You couldn't have known the Undertaking would kill Tommy. As Resh you helped resurrect Thea and Sara, you helped Oliver numerous times even though he kept rejecting you, as is his unfortunate trait. He has done his share of bad things."

"He started down that road because of me."

"No, he could have made different choices. Malcolm, whatever mistakes you made, you did not force him into anything. Yes, you influenced him, but ultimately his choices were his own. You weren't standing there, strongarming him to make them. It's complicated, I agree. But we are all human beings in a large world and each choice we make influences other people, just like other people's choices influence us. We are unique creatures and we can't predict what will be what I call a… well, a trigger that causes someone to react this way or that. So stop this guilt trip. I know you want to help Oliver, but this won't. You hurt him, I know that, but so have others."

"That's not what Chase has done." Malcolm sighed. "I mean _just_ hurt him. Emily, I have seen Oliver after their encounter. He didn't confide in me about it, and why would he? I'm not exactly a person he would trust. But, it doesn't take a scientist to figure out that Chase _broke_ him somehow. Psychologically, emotionally." Malcolm's expression was haunted. "Ems, the boy was a shadow of himself. I don't know what Chase did to Oliver, but it must have been something... something monstrous. He's not the same person, not by a long shot. He's in pain, and I... don't want him to be in pain."

"That only shows you're a good man and that's what I always knew anyway." Emily wiped a drop of sweat from his forehead. "You know I have no love lost for Oliver, but whatever Chase did to him, we can try to find a way to fix it. Or prevent whatever he and Talia are thinking of doing to him, any further damage. You know I'm not someone who gives up."

"Yes, but... I feel so useless here in this makeshift hospital wing." Malcolm shifted uneasily, clearly longing to jump back into action.

Emily laid a calming hand on his shoulder. "Well, you need to get better so there's no other way to do it… And Malcolm, I must tell you this. I truly admire you for the way you continue to care for him, treat him as a son."

"He has always been that to me, despite all the harm he and I caused each other, and even more so now. I wish all that strife between us had never happened. I wish I had been kinder towards him." He shook his head with regret.

Emily kissed him then, hugging him close.

"Oliver is a survivor. We will find him alive and ok, I promise. We just need to get some sleep." She lay her head gently in the crook of his arm. They fell into an uneasy slumber, Kevin and Sabrina keeping watch outside.

XxXxXxX

Emily woke up suddenly several hours later, stifling her startled gasp as she noticed Malcolm was still asleep. She didn't want to disturb him, but her system was too pumped up with adrenaline to just stay put, so she got up and padded her way to the other room.

Kevin stood up, next to Bri, who was napping propped up against the wall. Emily noticed with concern she had a wound on her shoulder.

"We had that checked out, it's nothing serious. Tim and I are taking turns napping and checking on her." Kevin reassured her.

"Alright," Emily said, her voice burdened with worry and moved to walk past him, but he put his hand on her shoulder firmly.

"Hey, where are you off to?"

"The beach, I think." Emily sighed as she turned back towars him. "Malcolm is worried about Oliver. Oliver was going for the boat so he is probably there, as is Chase." She resumed her walk and he fell into step beside her.

"Perhaps I should go with you."

"No, you and Timothy stay with Sabrina and Malcolm. I need to check on Oliver," Emily's tone brooked no objection.

Kevin knew her too well to try and dissuade her from what he knew was nuke-resistant resolve. He decided to negotiate a compromise instead.

"Emily, I understand, but I must insist on me not staying here. Thea and the rest of them might be in the ARGUS bunker. Felicity Smoak is bound to have read the maps and escaped there. Tim will stay here with Bri and Malcolm while I go and check. I remember the way."

Emily still seemed hesitant. He himself was hesitant, about her going off alone to possibly face Chase or whatever that idiot had prepared, about what the rest of them would have to face. The ultimate unknown in a place forsaken by the world. He decided to fall back on his Agency training, even though these circumstances went beyond everything he'd ever had had to deal with before.

"Ems, you do what you have to do and I will as well. We have the commlinks, right? I go do my thing, you do yours. I will inform Tim, then radio silence. I will sitrep you as soon as i get to the bunker, okay?" He helped her through some rubble from the explosion.

"Okay." Emily nodded as she turned to make her way toward the beach. The desolate landscape before her made her stop. There were no trees, no anything, just burnt ground, and very distant sea on the horizon. She glanced back at Kevin, but he had run off. She knew why. In his time as an agent he must have grown used to difficult conditions like this.

Emily took a deep breath, strengthened her grip on her bow and started to make her way in the direction of the beach.

She didn't need to watch her step too much now; the C4 had removed all the mines. All that was left were some rocks.

She walked at a rapid pace until she found herself on the beach. She stood there, her arrow ready to notch, looking out onto the sea. She saw a boat but it seemed abandoned, floating idly.

XxXxXxX

Emily walked a few paces on the beach, then was suddenly thrown to the sand, an angry young male keeping her pinned down. It was Oliver Queen. She struggled a little, then gave up as his grip made her gasp in pain.

"Who are you?" he growled, his gaze travelling towards her bow. She noticed a boy standing a little further away. William.

"Ouch," she exclaimed. "Ouch, let me go! I'm not an enemy. I'm a friend of Malcolm's!"

"That doesn't exclude you from the enemy category."

Emily sighed in exasperation. "I'm not here to harm you, just to help you. I'm Malcolm's associate. He's been wounded, and he informed me about  
Adrian Chase and Talia Al Ghul. I came here to make sure they haven't hurt you."

Oliver looked at her doubtfully for a while. "Well, that's quite a story you're trying to sell."

Emily decided to forego the formalities and took a commlink out of her pocket. "Me and my friends heard the entire snafu you all got into by the cages, so we know Adrian Chase and Talia Al Ghul attacked you. Malcolm kept us secret because he suspected one of your allies was in fact a traitor."

Oliver lessened the grip on her arms.

"The famous Digger Harkness," Emily said. "He's dead, by the way. Him and some of Talia's ninjas. Malcolm almost died when he killed them."

"What?!" Oliver exclaimed.

"Thea stepped on a mine while they were walking to the plane, and Malcolm took her place, made them all run away to safety. Then he tricked Harkness into stepping on the mine, while we listened on. Harkness and his team were blown all the way to hell before we arrived. Malcolm almost died there, but managed to jump away."

"Wait, what?!" Oliver was beyond shocked.

"Yeah. Me and my friends were in a different part of the island but found Malcolm and got him to safety before the explosion. The old Chinese prison. You know it from your time here."

Oliver nodded in confirmation, then helped her up. She seemed legit, but the situation was developing way too fast for his liking. Emily brushed away the sand from her leathers, shrugged away a kink in her neck, then looked at him earnestly.

"There is no time for me to explain everything right now, but I know a lot about you, even if you don't know stuff about me. What's important is that Malcolm is majorly wounded, and even more majorly worried about you, so I have come here to check on you. He told me you were headed for a boat, and I have no clue what the status of that is or where Chase or Talia might be. We are very exposed here, to be quite honest." She looked around uneasily.

"I don't even know your name," Oliver said, not sure what to make of this woman standing before him.

"I'm Emily." She reached out her hand to shake his. "So let's get the introductions out of the way and deal with this complicated situation."

Oliver shook her hand back, surprised by her frankness. She'd also put her bow away, which reassured him that she had no hostile intentions.

"So, what do we do now?" he asked, taken aback by her steadfastness and courage. She seemed completely unafraid of him, even though Malcolm must have told her about Oliver's skills as an archer and a fighter. Her posture told him she had a lot of experience in that regard as well. She held herself like a true warrior. Oliver didn't know what caused him to sense this but she had an air of goodness about her that turned into what was almost vulnerability when he stared at her longer. It made him trust her on a deeper level.

"Um, and Chase is dead," he said, knowing it was the right moment to impart that information. If they were to cooperate, there was no reason to dally.

"What?" she exclaimed in surprise. "Wait, what the hell? Did you kill him? I thought you were in danger from him!" If Oliver had any doubts about her intentions before, they were completely gone now. She was one of the good ones.

"No, actually he committed suicide. He had this remote trigger in his head that caused the explosion. I… I tried to stop him, but he took me by surprise. I had just grabbed William from him and I wanted to jump at him, wrestle the gun away, but he was too fast. And then we watched this island explode, and… Everyone I love was on it. I'm the reason they were here and i failed to save them."

Emily put an arm on his shoulder.

"That might not be true, Oliver. Me and my friends went to the Chinese prison while Felicity and the rest, as we heard on comms, were headed for the plane. So the geniuses that Felicity and Curtis are, there's a strong chance they saw the explosives just as we did and decided to go to the ARGUS prison, which is the closest location to them. Oliver, they could have made it there! You know how smart they are!"

The boy looked at her hopefully but still full of doubt.

"Listen," she said. "One of my friends, he used to be a CIA agent, and he ran there just before I got here; he has a map of the island, one that Malcolm provided. His name's Kevin. It might take a while, but he will get there, sooner than we can from here."

"Okay," Oliver seemed resigned. He nodded and introduced Emily to William. They sat on the beach for almost an hour. Oliver observed the woman, the kindness with which she approached William, the natural way she had with children. The jokes she exchanged with the boy seemed to tear his mind away from the trauma he'd just been through with Chase.

Suddenly her commlink beeped and she moved away to answer it.

Oliver knew it must be her friend. Kevin, was it? With news about Felicity and everyone he loved.

"Ah, so you found them? They're there? Oh that's-So she-Oh." Her voice broke for a second. "Yeah I made it to the beach, I'm with Oliver and William. I need to tell him and I will call you back ASAP, okay?" She disconnected then turned to Oliver, who looked at her with apprehension.

She didn't know how to tell him this, but knew she had to. And she needed to do it delicately. She led him away from William to make sure it was far enough to clue Oliver in without the boy hearing.

"Bad news?"

"Both good and bad news," Emily said.

"Tell me,"Oliver said, bracing himself for the very worst, making a show of just having an innocent stroll with Emily.

"Thea, Felicity and Curtis are alive."

He sighed with relief as Emily's gaze travelled towards William. "Samantha didn't make it, I'm sorry." There was no easy way to say it.

Oliver's gaze followed hers as she looked at his son, just standing there, staring at the waves, away from the horror of it all, from the wasteland this place had become. And now, this boy who had suffered so much trauma already would have to learn he'd never see his mother again, that she was gone? How to even begin to reveal something like this to a child, how to make it hurt less? And it was bound to hurt. Oliver did not know the first thing about being a father. He and Samantha had a one night stand during his wild days that resulted in this precious child, and he always knew she was a kind person, devoted to William.

He turned to the woman walking beside him, took her hand in his suddenly.

"Emily, I can't do this, I can't tell him. I don't know how. I don't have a clue, and he needs to know, I can't keep lying to him. He needs to know and I don't know how to tell him. Could you?"

Emily looked at him uncertainly.

"I know it's a lot to ask, but you seemed to click out there while we waited for your friend's call and I... Well, basically, I think I'd botch this. But he needs to know." Oliver's tone was desperate.

Emily had no idea what to do with this request. She didn't think that in her mercenary profession she'd ever have children of her own, that she'd have to deal with something like this. To be honest, she didn't even want kids.

Meeting Malcolm had changed all that.

However, having your own fresh, newborn baby would be a situation a thousand miles away from informing an almost teenage child his mother was gone, and also having to deal with what she noticed by looking at Oliver, a very distressed and lost father.

She sighed deeply, then turned to Oliver. "Alright, I will tell him, make it as gentle as I possibly can. But you have to be prepared for his grief, and as a father, to take the responsibility and deal with the way he reacts, to lessen the pain it is sure to cause him. He knows you're his father, right?"

"Yes, I told him after the whole Chase situation. And I realise my responsibility, Emily. I will do my best to help him."

"Okay, so here we go then." She went up to William and put her hand gently on his shoulder, noticing he kept his gaze fixed on the sea, away from the boat and the wasteland. She had no idea how to break such heavy news to him, but she didn't have a choice. She remembered she had an energy candybar in her pocket, to keep her alert when she had to go on without food for hours during a mission.

"Here, a snack for you." She handed it to William.

"Thanks." He unwrapped it and dug in, smiling when he tasted the chocolate.

"Let's sit down, okay?" She said as Oliver moved further back. The boy smiled softly and nodded.

She let him enjoy the candy bar and the comforting sound of seagulls before she broached the inevitable subject. How does one tell a vulnerable child this age that his mother had just died? Emily had lost her mother when she was twice as old as he, had no experience with children. All she had to go on was her gut feeling.

"Thank you for the candy, it was very tasty," the boy said politely, and it almost broke her heart, knowing the information she was about to impart would shatter his world.

"You're very welcome, William."

"You seem sad, Emily."

"I am, because I have some very sad news."

"What happened?" he asked in trepidation.

Emily sighed inwardly, the core of her being twisting with grief. "Your mommy, William. She-" Emily struggled to speak as her breath caught in her throat. "She's gone. She died."

Emily saw the shock in his gaze turn to grief and grief in a child's eyes is something one never recovers from. She moved to hold him and he held her, too. He struggled to be brave then, though. He looked at what was left of the island for a while. "That stupid explosion that happened when my dad and me were on the boat killed her, didn't it?"

"Yes," Emily confirmed, then made a decision. William was an intelligent boy and she felt particularly vengeful towards Talia Al Ghul just now. "The man who killed himself on the boat had allies. And listen to me very carefully, William. There are a lot of us with bows around here, including your dad. But our enemies have bows too, Bows and scimitars and other swords and weapons. So I need you to promise me this. When you see a dark haired woman with a bow, shout 'Talia' and then hide. I'm only telling you this because my best friend and ally also has dark hair and her name is Sabrina. Sabrina is to be trusted, Talia is not. Neither are the men who look like ninjas."

Emily then made an executive decision and shoved one of the daggers she was equipped with into William's hand. "Hide it and use it only on Talia. Me and your father will be there every step of the way, got it?"

"Yeah." He nodded with determination.

Emily approached Oliver, her stance firm and determined. "I've done what you asked. Will knows what happened and I guess we are now bound for the ARGUS bunker Thea and Felicity are in."

Oliver nodded in confirmation as they started a fast walk, William gripping his father's hand.

Emily reactivated her commlink to Kevin, and he informed her that everyone at the bunker was fine. "We will be there shortly," she said and increased her pace. They were lucky enough not to meet any of Talia's men on their way.

XxXxXxX

Kevin met them at the door when they arrived. "Everything is calm here," he told them.

Oliver nodded, then moved to hug Felicity and Thea.

William just stayed next to Emily. He seemed to have taken a liking to her.

"Are we safe here? And who are these women my father is kissing?" He asked in a suspicious tone.

"We're safer here than outside; Talia didn't get to us," Emily whispered reassuringly. "The older girl is Felicity, a woman your father is in love with. The younger one is Thea, your dad's half-sister and your aunt." The boy nodded in understanding, confirming Emily's sense he was way smarter than Oliver.

"I feel like i should go to them and say hi, but I'm kinda not feeling confident enough."

"It's okay, I'll come with you," Emily said.

She shared a gentle smile with Kevin. "Just don't kill them, ok, Ems? I told them who you are before you arrived," he whispered so William couldn't hear.

Emily nodded, then took William by the hand and slowly approached the group. ' _Don't stab Thea with the dagger, don't stab Thea with the dagger, there's a child in the room,'_ she kept repeating in her thoughts as she smiled politely at the women when she approached.

"Um, hello, Emily. Glad you and Oliver and William made it here safely." Felicity said with a smile as Emily put away her bow. "Your friend Kevin there is quite impressive. Former FBI, is it?" there was a sudden edge to Felicity's voice and it made Emily realize the hacker was still mistrustful and testing her. She took her time removing most of her hidden daggers and weapons, then putting them on the table in full display.

"CIA, actually," she corrected. "He went freelance several years ago," They shook hands in a friendly manner. Felicity grew more relaxed as she saw the honesty in the other woman's gaze.

Emily turned to Thea, noticed her pursed lips, but reached out her hand nevertheless. "Hi, you must be Thea." She almost puked into her mouth a little as she looked at the bratty look on the girl's face.

"And you are HIS girlfriend, from what your friend there told me."

Emily's gaze darkened. "If by 'HIM' you mean your father, who practically sacrificed his life for you, then yes, I am." The sudden fury in Emily's voice made Thea withdraw a few steps. "And don't call me 'girlfriend, you spoiled little brat!" Venom dripped from Emily's voice and despite the fact she held no weapons, her tone made _everyone_ withdraw.

"He might not be a perfect father, but he sacrificed everything for you and all you have rewarded him with is your spite! How can you even live with yourself?I heard the entire conversation he had with you on commlinks before he gave up his life for you!"

"I didn't ask this of him!" Thea exclaimed, defensively.

"And didn't he tell you in that very same conversation that a child doesn't need to ask that of their parent? It's a given, you little fool!"

"I-I didn't want for him to get hurt." Thea stammered.

"Well, then, perhaps you shouldn't have stepped on a frikking mine!" Emily spat. "And your hypocritical self-righteousness makes me sick! I know how many times he's rescued you! The nights I spent hearing him crying 'Thea' 'Thea' 'Thea', the nights he woke up having screamed that same name, numerous times! When, WHEN will you get it through your thick head that your father actually LOVES you?!"

The girl seemed at a loss for what to say. Everyone in the room was shocked by Emily's outburst.

"I- Emily, I didn't realise, I..."

"Then realise now, finally realise that fucking HELL, HE LOVES YOU ABOVE LIFE ITSELF, ABOVE EVERYTHING!"

Kevin put his hands on Emily 's arms in a comforting manner as her shout continued to echo through the room.

Thea just stood there, then said in a small voice: "I didn't know."

"Well, if him jumping on a landmine to rescue your sorry ass wasn't enough of a clue, then then I don't' know what would be," Emily shook her head resignedly as she made her way into an adjoining compartment, Felicity and Oliver following her.

She sat on the bed, her gaze a storm of dark blue and grey. Noone dared to disturb the silence until she looked up at them.

"I'm sorry for blowing up like that, Oliver. I know she's your sister and all, and yeah, Malcolm has his faults as a father, but who ever had not?" She sighed. "Thea's stubbornness just rubs me the wrong way. Perhaps I know him and his emotions better than you, Oliver; perhaps I 'see the man behind the monster, the good behind the evil.' I'm not delusional." She looked at them earnestly and continued, "I've just numerously witnessed a really amazing side of him, even before he risked his very existence for Thea. I've seen a kind man, whom life had put in horrible circumstances. He has been a rock to me, always, ever since we met." She gazed at the pair sadly, not even knowing why she was spilling her secrets to them. "Deep down inside, he's not evil. I know you're probably the last people on the planet who would trust me on this, but I cannot remain silent, not with what I know about him in my very core."

There was a long silence as Felicity sat down next to Emily, while Oliver moved to the window, both of them speechless for a while.

Felicity laid a hand on Emily's arm before she started speaking, struggling for words. "Well, that was… very deep and very honest and... I was there when Malcolm rescued Thea. Not only her, all of us. Never in my life have I thought I'd actually grow to admire him." Her voice grew hoarse as her memory returned to the situation. "What Malcolm said to Thea, it was pure love, none of it pretend... And I am very known for calling him a bastard and a liar every chance I get." Felicity's mouth curled up in a kind of roguish smile. "I know he wasn't then, despite his history. I admit I understand what you said about him. I… I thought of him as the very definition of a villain for most of the time I've known him and yet... Seeing this absolute selflessness in him on that forest road... He did prove me wrong then, Emily. You're right, there is good in him. Despite the things he's done, deep down there is this… a… a spark? A sacrifice like this, for a daughter that hated him, for us, who definitely hated him... I'm not sure if I'd be able to do that."

"Thank you for saying that, Felicity. And I'm not unaware of his sins. I understand the hurt he caused Oliver and why both of you can't forgive him." Emily paused briefly and sighed as she threw a glance at Oliver, then continued, "I also understand that you might think somewhat less of me because I love him and have been his associate and companion for many years. I'm not apologizing or asking for your forgiveness, neither is he or any of my friends." She paused again and turned back to look at Felicity. "I think… It's too late for apologies, but also not a time to hold grudges. So, perhaps we could find a middle ground and, well, focus on getting out of this mess?"

Felicity nodded. "Hm, like: 'no singing kumbya by the fire, but not jumping down each other's throats either' kinda thing?"

"Yeah, I guess," Emily chuckled.

Both Oliver and Felicity smiled at her then. "I think we can agree on that," Oliver said.

"Great," Emily let out a relieved sigh and then it was her turn to throw Felicity a roguish smile. "Although, um... I might have to ask a favour of you, Felicity."

"Oh?"

"Yeah," Emily laughed self-consciously. "I did hear you're the expert on hacking and computer stuff. My friend Sabrina is a genius at programming and making videos, even though she's very humble about it. Perhaps after we deal with all of what we're going through now, we could meet up and take Ms Felicity Smoak's course on computers? I have to admit, I'm a geek at heart."

"Well, no shame in that." Felicity laughed. "Maybe in exchange you could give me a crash course on using a bow."

"Sure. Probably, given the circumstances it might be best done sooner rather than later." Emily smiled.

"This is a great idea," Oliver piped in. "In fact, why don't you start now?"

"Wait, what?" the women turned to him in surprise.

"Well, we all should soon head for the bunker in the prison where your friends are, Emily" Oliver said. There is strength in numbers and we don't know when Talia might attack next. Your friend Kevin is clearly a warrior and I reckon we have some great warriors out there at the Chinese prison, so it's best we all meet and face this threat together, rather than remain divided like we are now. However, William is beyond exhausted after the entire Chase ordeal, so we need to delay for a while, which gives you two time for training. I'll feel more secure knowing Felicity gets some of these skills."

"I agree," Emily nodded. "Although, I'm quite surprised that you yourself haven't taught her yet, Oliver. I mean, you've been... um.. working together for years now, right?" She asked diplomatically.

Felicity and Oliver looked at each other, then the hacker turned back to Emily. "Well, let's just say Oliver isn't exactly what you would call 'teacher material'?"

Oliver flushed at that as his mind travelled back towards when he was training his recruits and all the mistakes he made with them. Rory, Renee, Evelyn… Well, there was no use to dwell on it now anyway.

XxXxXxX

"So, may I stay and observe your crash course?" Oliver asked in a playful tone, trying to disperse the sad mood that treatened to overcome him.

"Sure. Felicity, don't you dare and let him give you stagefright, despite the fact he's an accomplished archer."

"Ok you just read my mind there, right now. And I'm already stage-frighted." Felicity used a cute linguistics-based comment that made Emily laugh.

"Don't be 'stage-frighted', okay? Just put your focus on what you need to do, on the bow." She threw a brief look at Oliver that made him withdraw into a darker corner of the room, not to hover. Then she handed her bow to Felicity. "Get acquainted with its weight while I-oh, this will be perfect as target practice!"

There was a random advert newspaper on the table nearby and Emily tore out a page, then glued it to the wall with a piece of gum she took out from her pouch. Oliver had to smile at the impromptu ingenuity.

Emily approached Felicity then, stood next to her. "Ok, so the bow shouldn't be too heavy, I'm about the same height and weight as you."

"Nope, doesn't feel too heavy, although I probably don't have the same pulling strength as you. I haven't been doing much of arm strength exercise."

"It's ok, I had little to no exercise either before I shot my bow the first time. Just forget any stagefright thingy, focus on that advert and my instructions, okay?"

"Okay."

"So, the most important thing is your stance." Emily moved behind Felicity and corrected it, moving gently but firmly, her tone calm and patient. "Remember to keep your stance." Suddenly Emily started to channel the archery lessons Malcolm had given her.

"Yes, right leg here, left a little back, at this angle. Now put the bow up and try to pull it to full draw. It's compound, so the initial weight will let go at that time, let you choose your target with ease."

Felicity did as she was told and sighed with amazement when she managed to pull the bow fully and the initial exertion to her muscles when doing it was suddenly relieved.

Emily noticed the movement and smiled. "Now, aim it at the newspaper. You can take your time, but remember not to forget your stance. Make sure your gaze is focused on the arrow and that its tip is aligned with where you want it to hit. After you release it, keep your muscles clenched and your position firm, the very same as when you're shooting, up until you notice it hit the target." Emily adjusted Felicity's arm position a little, lifting her elbow up the way it should be, then withdrew a step.

"Okay, Felicity, notch and shoot, focus on that ridiculous advert!"

Felicity did as she was told and managed to hit the picture, very near the middle. "Whoa, that felt strangely satisfying," she said.

"It is." Emily smiled. "Archery is a very satisfying sport and something of a work of art. If I may offer any advice, practice the stance even if you don't actually shoot anything and also, some arm exercises. Lifting weights or even arm aerobics. It will make the pull less of a struggle and increase your speed in shooting."

Felicity nodded and shot several more arrows, while Emily corrected the mistakes she was making, weaving in some technical info about bows into her instructions.

Felicity grew tired after a while and returned the bow to Emily. "Thanks for the lesson, you fully earned that hacking crash course from me," she smiled. "Are you sure you shouldn't be a teacher? You have a way of explaining things in a clear, no-nonsense way while making your student feel at ease and well, um, secure."

"Wow, this is quite a compliment, Felicity. I used to teach English once; you know it is not my native language." She smiled as Felicity nodded, probably having done her research and asked Kevin about her. "I used to work as a tutor on the side. And ya know…" She handed Felicity a bottle of mineral water. "When I think back to that time, I kinda enjoyed it, but I did not exactly go by the book, I mean… I chose subjects that I felt passionate about, like in English, texts that I liked and ones I knew wouldn't bore my students. I tried to make sure they understood the subject and that the lessons were instructive, not a drag. I hope I succeeded. They were wonderful people."

"Well, you have succeeded with me, " Felicity said warmly after she took a gulp of her water. "I've had my share of teachers that had too much ego and too little knowledge."

Emily smiled. "I think I know the type. My teacher at the university had the ego the size of a tank!" They both giggled a little, then Emily's expression turned serious.

Felicity looked at her curiously. Emily continued. "I have had some great teachers in my life. First is my father, the kindest person you could meet on this earth. Then, my literature teacher at my high school, the most inspiring of woman I have met. Then there is my friend, a man I met when I was at the hospital, twice my age, but he knew so much about life he could have been a hundred. Also, last but not least, and it might be controversial in your case: Malcolm Merlyn. I think he's the best teacher of them all. Or one of the best ones."

"Well, several weeks ago, I'd have vehemently protested against that statement. But after what I witnessed recently, I think I misjudged him to some level. I might just be willing to cautiously give him the benefit of the doubt."

"So there might be a Felicity-Malcolm archery training session in the future?" Emily asked with a laugh.

Felicity laughed as well. "There might be, provided he endures a computer code lesson, courtesy of me."

"Fair enough! Knowing him and his character, he'd appreciate acquiring a new skill. And I bet you'd enjoy watching him squirm a little as you make it the most difficult it can possibly be!"

Felicity almost choked on her water as she burst outlaughing. "True, true," she coughed.

"Ladies, I hate to disturb this bonding session, but we should get going to the prison. We don't know what Talia has planned. William is okay now, so no further delay needed." Oliver said.

"Sure." Emily stood up, but before she went out, she pushed one of her spare daggers into Felicity's hand. "No need for training on this one. Just stab." She smiled and went into the main room. Everyone was prepared and ready to go.

XxXxXxX

After they all went outside and started their trek, Emily fell into step beside Thea. "Listen, I'm sorry for going all ballistic on you earlier," she said to the girl. "I...I tend to get emotional and also I'm very protective of your father."

"It's okay," Thea said. "His first instinct in that awful situation was to protect me and everyone else. I'm happy he's alive and... I'm not exactly proud of what I said to him then."

Emily looked at the sad wasteland spreading before them. "You can tell that to him yourself once we get to the prison bunker. Just don't make his efforts be in vain and be careful. Keep yourself safe as we make our way there, ok?"

"Ok." Thea nodded.

Emily moved to Oliver then. He seemed to have some sort of trouble with William. "What's wrong?"

"I'm not sure. I'm new to this whole father thing. He's grieving for his mom and this sorry landscape here and the stress of it all are not helping. Perhaps you could- I mean, I should be the one to deal with this, but you've developed some sort of a bond with him. So, if it's not too much to ask, would you try to put him at ease somehow? I just feel useless." Oliver sighed.

"Of course; I'll do my best," she said reassuringly as Oliver nodded and moved back to walk with Felicity. Emily joined William. He seemed confused by the ugly landscape they walked through, his expression both haunted and determined at the same time.

Emily put her arm on his shoulder gently. "Not a prety picture, is it?" she asked softly.

"Nope, but my life has been full of bleak ones recently. And it doesn't look like it's about to get better," he answered and she heard his voice break slightly. He clearly tried to be brave but the situation seemed to overwhelm him.

"William." She put her arm around his back. "This is beyond overwhelming, but don't give up. We are in deep shit, to put it bluntly, but we also have some wonderful friends that support us, some of which you will soon meet. We are in danger, but if we have each others' backs we can get through it."

He nodded and his posture straightened, clearly feeling less helpless. They walked in silence for a while, then William asked her a surprising question. "The man, the one on the boat that caused this awful explosion, he… he made this demand of my father, to let him kill me or everyone else here. Then my dad rescued me and he caused the island to explode… Am I… am I the reason my mom and all these other people died?" William started to cry.

Emily hugged him as he sobbed. "No!" she exclaimed. "Never blame yourself for that! He was mad, and I am certain he would have caused the island to blow up anyway, and also killed you. So listen to me, don't you blame yourself for a second! You're a smart, wonderful, kind boy and in no way responsible for his actions! Okay?!"

He looked at her, reassured.

Oliver had heard the last part of the conversation and approached them. He just put a hand on Emily's arm in a simple expression of gratitude as William joined Felicity behind them. "Thank you," he said." I couldn't get what was wrong with him until he just spilled the beans to you."

"You're very welcome. And since for most of the time, we have been dealing with personal drama and not the elephant in the... well not room, but wasteland, I think we should deal with that," Emily said.

"Yeah, Talia might attack at any second or whatever," Oliver agreed.

Emily nodded, her strategical thinking kicking in as she turned to look at the group.

"Alright, so I reckon we should do this. You, me, Kevin, and Thea take the flanks, to be the first line of defense in case of attack. The rest create a makeshift cordon around William."

"Sounds like good strategy," Oliver agreed and moved to inform the others about it. He returned soon afterwards.

"All set," he said when he returned. They moved through the forest, but met no resistance. The walk to their destination seemed to last for ages, though.

XxXxXxX

There was a sudden whoosing sound.

"Watch out, incoming!" Oliver shouted as he noticed a small missile make its way towards them, several kilometers away from the entrance to the prison.

"So that must be Talia's tactic!" Emily exclaimed as she ducked. "She wants to take us out at her ease, before we get there, then attack the prison itself and everyone there! Who at this time, have only the walls of the prison bunker to keep them safe!"

"What makes you so sure of that?" Oliver exclaimed as another missile hit nearby.

Thea and the rest of her group withdrew slightly, some shouting in panic. They hid behind a cluster of rocks.

"I know because I've seen it in my time in combat before! We need to make it to the prison as soon as possible. They want to keep us pinned down, hiding in this wasteland somewhere so they can kill everyone inside!" she gulped then continued, "Or, depending on their numbers, pick off all the ones inside and the ones outside at the same time! We only have these rocks to hide behind and they won't last long!" Her voice grew hoarse from all the shouting and dodging. "Kevin, tell me you have some handgrenades?!"

"Of course!" He started throwing them at the enemy. Arrows, bullets, grenades flying everywhere.

Sabrina opened the door to the prison hatch as Kevin approached with Felicity and William. She let them in, then joined the fray, downing opponent after opponent with her black and red arrows.

"Oliver, now would be the time for your smoke grenade, give us cover to get inside!" Emily shouted.

He nodded then threw one, then hightailed it with Thea, Emily and Curtis on their heels.

"Ok, we're all here," Emily gasped as the door shook from the explosions outside.

"I'm not sure when they're going to give up, but they seem to have a lot of ammunition!" Kevin exclaimed.

"Anyway, first things first. Malcolm?" Emily asked Bri.

"Stable. Although if they keep shooting at us like this, they might blow out the power generator and well, there goes our electricity. I don't need to tell you what that means!"

Another explosion shook the room.

"Uh, there is a helicopter, freakishly armed, shooting at us," Sabrina exclaimed, taking a careful peek out a small bulletproof basement window.

"Ok, I'm sick of this!" Kevin shouted and ran down the steps to an even lower level. "THIS IS a FUCKING MILITARY PRISON, they're bound to have a- oh yeah!" came his cheerful voice, seconds before he emerged with a bazooka, of all things.

"Move over, y'all," he said as he shoved Sabrina and Emily away from the window, then aimed and shot. The helicopter went down in a burst of flames.

"Well, that should keep them occupied for a while." He said in a detached voice as most of the people in the room just stared at him with shock.

"All right, we need to arrange things around here and remain prepared," Sabrina said and moved towards Kevin. Emily turned to Tim.

"I want to go to Malcolm, I need to- I-" Her voice was heavy with anxiety and impatience.

"Of course, go right ahead, There's good news, he's been improving steadily."

Emily started to move towards the chamber but Thea's hand on her arm stopped her. "Could I go with you? I know what the situation is, but I... I'd like to accompany you." Her tone was shy and uncertain.

Emily squeezed her hand. "Of course you can, Thea, you don't have to ask. He is your father."

They entered the room where Malcolm was recovering. The soft and steady beep of his heart monitor was the only sound that greeted them. They approached the bed slowly. Emily kissed her love, then made way for Thea.

The girl seemed unsure of what to do, how to behave. She only ever saw her father as this strong warrior, an assassin, a fighter, someone to be reckoned with, someone that caused fear in others, even in her. And he caused that in her now, but it was a different kind of fear. Seeing him so pale and vulnerable on that bed, so unlike himself, so unlike what she was used to... it was a fear of losing him, a realization that she needed him, desperately, needed the strength that she had asked him for, years ago, strength he had provided, even when she pushed him away stubbornly, giving into anger and sometimes unfairly, choosing to blame him for everything that went wrong in her life, even when he did not deserve it.

She sat on the bedside then leaned in and put her head on his chest gently, taking his hand into hers. "Dad? Daddy?" she asked quietly squeezing his hand a little harder.

He stirred a little as Emily sat on the bed next to her.

"Thea," he whispered softly as his eyes fluttered open. "And Emily. You're okay." He smiled.

"Yeah, I'm okay, only thanks to that stunt you pulled there in the forest," Thea said in a mock angry voice as she snuggled up to him, letting Emily take his hand and wrap it in hers.

"Well, it was all worth it if I get to wake up to this."

"Don't joke like that, Dad."

"I'm not joking. It truly was worth it. I love the two of you and every pain is worth suffering through to have you safe with me." Malcolm's voice was hoarse, but not from exhaustion. He fought the tears of joy that threatened to start spilling because Thea was actually calling him 'dad' again.

"Well, we might not be all that safe. Digger Harkness is gone, but Talia Al Ghul is still here," Emily said bitterly. "She and her goons tried to attack us just outside this compound. We seem to have fended them off for now, though."

"And Oliver?"

"Both him and William made it safe back here; they're okay. The entire island above exploded though, because of Chase. So we are several feet below a wasteland and no clue as to the fate of some of our allies, like Diggle and Nyssa. Samantha is gone, unfortunately. She didn't make it inside the ARGUS bunker before the explosion."

"I'm sorry. William must be crushed right now. Sad, scared, and confused."

"He is. He does not remember you as scary, though. Said you were kind back when… You know, you took him to Dahrk." Emily bit her lip and looked away.

"Majorly bad decision on my part," Malcolm sighed. "To risk an innocent child's life that way, to give in to my anger at something Oliver did that I, in fact, deserved."

Thea took his prosthetic hand in hers then, surprised at the genuity of his guilt for what his decisions had caused her to endure. She realised it was the first time she'd ever touched it, realized she'd never asked if wearing it caused him any discomfort or pain. The only comment she'd made about it, many months ago was that he was lucky Oliver hadn't cut off his head. She'd shown him no compassion whatsoever, and for some reason it made her uneasy.

She looked back on her actions from the past year and felt a stab of cold. The way she went and destroyed her brother's reporter girlfriend's career without giving it a second thought, the way she treated her own father, what she'd said to him, the way she seemed to enjoy causing people pain. Perhaps the passing remark Malcolm had made, that Nyssa's potion didn't really cure her, that it was a temporary solution was correct? Perhaps there was still a monster inside her, hiding, waiting to rear its ugly head suddenly, only in a more subtle way? She'd always thought of Malcolm as the evil one, but was he? When push came to shove, he always saved her, almost gave his life for hers. He survived the sacrifice by pure luck, and even that wasn't certain, given his weakened state. And.. it had taken her mere seconds to abandon him and run off like a coward, leaving him on that mine. He was far from a perfect father, but she always had this hubris in her mind, thinking she was better than him. She wasn't. She was selfish and she had ignored her own blood, she had left him there, knowing he'd die. She had ran like a scared little animal. She felt ashamed of herself.

She hugged him harder then, a cry escaping her. "I'm sorry Daddy, I'm sorry," she sobbed. "I-I love you," she repeated the words she had said into an empty room at the bunker, only now she was telling them to him, a real person. "Recover from this, Daddy. I shouldn't have said what I said, I...I shouldn't have left like that, I want you alive and well and with me!"

Malcolm wrapped his arms around her as his breath hitched with emotion. It was the first time in her entire life Thea told him she loved him, the first time she spoke to him with such tenderness, hugged him with childlike abandon. Every pain, every wound he had endured was worth this moment. "You don't need to be sorry, Thea. I'm lucky to have such a treasure as you, and I am recovering." His gaze travelled to Emily who stood up, moved to tears by the reunion. She still managed a smile, though.

"I am coming back, to both of you. And Thea?" His voice grew stronger then. "I swear to you, I will be the father you deserve. Now snuggle closer, I can take it, I'm not made of glass."

Thea laughed and obliged, a huge grin spreading on her face.

Emily felt a presence behind her and turned to see Oliver. "How much of that conversation you've heard?" she asked as they exited the room.

XxXxXxX

"Enough," Oliver smiled. "And I'm glad I have. I haven't seen Thea this happy since I don't know how long. Timothy says Malcolm should make a full recovery. There is still Talia to deal with somewhere, though."

"Yeah," Emily said. "We need to come up with a strategy for that." They made their way outside and looked at what was left of the island, checked out the damage Talia's missile had made to the area around the prison.

"I think I have an idea where she might be hiding," Oliver whispered. "And offense is the best defense, so if you and your friends are game, we should pool our resources and hit her... Well, before she even knows what hit her."

"Sure. We ought to make an inventory of the weapons we have here, Anything that can be potentially transformed into a weapon should also be taken into account. Sabrina and Kevin are very skilled in that regard, so I will ask them to help."

"Okay." He nodded. "And thanks for not blowing up on me as you did on Thea. I realise you love Malcolm, so I get how you'd be angry at me for the... Well, the duel and the hand situation, the role I played in hurting him, in disbanding the League." He paused, sarching for words. "I mean, he did hurt me first, and he hurt a lot of other people, but... I realise now that keeping score is just feeding into this vicious circle that doesn't benefit anyone, just brings more harm. I was made painfully aware of that by Adrian Chase." Oliver's gaze grew haunted. "I may not be able to forgive Malcolm for the things he has done, but I have also done a lot of horrendous stuff in my life, so perhaps I shouldn't be one to judge."

Emily put a hand on his arm briefly. "You know, I was angry at you, very much so, after I learned what you did during that duel. If you had met me then, well... You would have had to deal with an angry blowout from hell." They both chuckled. "But life has taught me that things aren't always what they seem when taken out of context. What you saw was a man just giving up on his daughter's life because of selfish reasons."

Oliver nodded and Emily continued. "What I know is, he was, in fact, working on a solution to save her, a more permanent one than the Lotus potion, one he kept secret from everyone, because he wasn't sure whom he could trust. What he had planned for the League was truly to change the world for the better, as I'm sure he told you. And perhaps there might, some day, be a way to do that."

"Wait, did you just imply that the Lotus potion didn't fully cure Thea? That its effects are... temporary?" Oliver asked with unease.

"Yes. "Emily confirmed. "At the library in Nanda Parbat, Malcolm and I found books that said there were ceremonies to be performed, books that analysed earlier cases of the Lazarus Pit resurrections and how people were cured fully from the side effects. It was sort of like putting together a puzzle. The details were there, but scattered. We needed time to complete it, only there _was_ no time with Nyssa undermining Malcolm at every turn."

Emily sighed in frustration. "The Lotus potion is indeed labelled a _temporary_ solution by all the sources we consulted… When Nyssa disbanded the League and destroyed the ring, Malcolm had no further access to the library, so we had to leave it at that. Damien Dahrk was threatening Apocalypse... Malcolm took the only logical course of action he could to make sure Thea and his closest associates stayed safe." She paused and looked at the Green Arrow earnestly. "Oliver, you must know that deep down, Malcolm was never really in cahoots with Damien. He knew the only way to defeat him was from the inside, to learn how HIVE works, what makes Dahrk tick. I'm not saying he didn't feel vengeful towards you, but he did manage to steer what you did to him in the right direction."

Oliver nodded, seeing her point. Malcolm had helped them fight Dahrk's forces that fateful night when Oliver killed Damien and despite the twisted way he approached things, there was a consistent pattern in the Dark Archer's actions. He always returned to rescue him and his sister. This reverie made Oliver miss some of what Emily was saying, but he refocused.

"...I mean, it takes time to bring something as powerful as the League and its resources back to life, but it is Thea's best chance, all of our best chances combined, really. Oliver, this could change the world as we know it, for the better."

Emily expected Oliver to react angrily at the fact she and Malcolm even entertained the idea of bringing the League back, but the Vigilante just looked away with a haunted expression.

"What is it, Oliver?" she asked.

"Thea," he said, in a weak, troubled voice. "The way she's been acting... I mean, she hasn't had the urge to murder people at random, but this… This coldness in her… She lied to me, numerous times, she almost destroyed my girlfriend's career, she made political decisions during my stint as Star City's mayor that were worthy of a tyrant and the way she acted towards some of our friends and towards Malcolm, sometimes towards me... Other little details…" He broke off and bit his lip. "Emily, I've known her since she was born and now, I don't recognize her sometimes. Is she under some twisted spell, is she not fully herself? Is she about to relapse into being a murdering, soulless creature?!"

He was almost panicking. Emily sensed it and lay a calming hand on his arm. "Oliver, don't freak out, that won't help anyone. Like I said, we didn't manage to investigate thoroughly, so while Thea might not be fully herself, you did see her with her father just now, the kindness she still clearly has inside." She sighed. "We have enemies almost literally knocking on our door, so let's get our priorities straight. Do what is possible, now." Emily's matter-of-fact tone helped ground him. "Oliver, we'll need to keep observing her for any disturbing signs and you're the best one to do that, perhaps alert Felicity and Curtis to the situation. Malcolm and I know it already."

Oliver nodded as Emily continued. "Also, I have an idea. You said Nyssa and Diggle might have been captured by Talia, perhaps others we aren't aware of. Nyssa knows League lore intimately, she's bound to know of a way to the library. I'm not doing this as a way to trick you," she warned.

"I wasn't thinking that," Oliver said. "I was just thinking about what Malcolm had said, sometime before our duel…" Oliver broke off. "The way he said it… Damn, I really am 'not especially bright' as he claimed! I failed to catch a clue and just effed the whole thing up!" He exclaimed.

"What was this clue?" Emily kept her voice level.

Oliver sighed in frustration. "Well, you know how he is! He implied it the whole time, in that covert way of his, that Nyssa wasn't providing the right solution; you know, indirect implications that he was working on one himself, only he probably couldn't tell me at the time directly. He might have suspected Nyssa or her allies had the room bugged. Damn, and only now do I see it! I'm an idiot!" he exclaimed.

"You're not an idiot," Emily admonished. "Well, okay, _mostly_ not," she corrected herself and Oliver chuckled. "Anyway, there is no use in giving into anger at yourself. Like I said, we find Nyssa and then find our answers. What I know from some commlink eavesdropping me and my friends did, she still calls you 'husband'. Although it does seem, err.. _slightly_ illogical, since the disbandment of the Leauge and its laws made your marriage null and void... But, anyway, use that potential loyalty to get her to give you the information we need. I'll do my part as well."

Oliver looked at her, trying very hard to not let his jaw drop in admiration.

"This is is a very devious and intelligent scenario, Emily," he said when he managed to regain his voice. "I'm glad you're on our side. I'd hate to have you as an enemy and, well, I'm happy I avoided that blow-up you are quite proficient at. I guess Thea took the brunt of that temper of yours."

Emily chuckled. "She did, and you're welcome. But she and I seem to have mended fences to some degree since then."

"I'm glad about that." They were walking through a private area of the corridor then, unheard by the rest of the team, their commlinks disabled.

Emily turned towards him as a small side corridor took them out of sight from Tim and Bri who were guarding the hall.

"Oliver, coming back to the topic of Malcolm and yourself…" She started, gently. "He doesn't want to pressure you into giving him your forgiveness for the pain he'd caused you. He only wishes to help you. He's always thought of you as a son... You know, the almost last thing he said to Thea before the whole mine thing happened was: 'You may not think of me as a father, but you will always be my daughter.' Quite a beautiful sentiment, and he has many of those, towards you as well." Emliy's breath hitched with emotion. "Each time when you were in absolute dire straits, his first instinct has been to help you."

"I've noticed that,"Oliver confirmed, recalling his recent trip to the island with Malcolm and decided not to mention how much he came to rely on the Dark Archer's support. He just wasn't ready.

Emily decided to push her agenda, sensing Oliver's hesitstion."From what I noticed, he wants the opportunity to do just that. Help you, protect you, be there for you when you fight the battles you face, be a person you might want to shake hands with. I've rarely seen him happier than when the two of you were on what one might call 'good terms.' As opposed to exchanging blows and hateful words." Her voice grew hoarser, lower at the memory.

Oliver remembered these times of confiding in Malcolm and had to admit to himself he had enjoyed them as well.

"I'd like that," he said.

"Well, then, let's put things in action mode. We'll have to make a move against Talia soon, but we need to make sure everyone's at least somewhat ready for that and turn this place into a fortress, now and later, in case we need to retreat. We'll have to prepare the others for what we gotta do, and there will be details and stuff, so probably, not an easy task. However, that should take enough time for Malcolm to recover, as well."

"Alright," Oliver agreed. He had to admire her no-nonsense manner, and her ability to make complicated decisions in difficult circumstances as well as not holding grudges when they no longer seemed productive. He was also grateful for how she'd helped him with William. He'd had no idea what to do after the trauma the boy had been through, but she'd helped them both through it and demanded no thanks for that. Her ideas about Nyssa and helping Thea made total sense. She was quite an inspiring force and even though Oliver might not have admitted it to her, she helped put him back into the right mindset after Chase's actions knocked all the fight out of him.

"Emily," he said, taking her by the arm.

"Yeah?"

"I wanted to tell you how much I appreciate the way you helped me with William, and, frankly the way you helped me. It hasn't been easy and I seem to have spent too much time second-guessing myself. Somehow, you have pulled me out of that funk and made me aware of friends I have had in my life that I had not appreciated before and introduced me to new ones and, found a potential way to save my sister from a threat that has been hanging over all of us for a long time. And, I should probably stop speaking now, or you might think I'm hitting on you or something." He laughed self-consciously.

Emily laughed amicably. "It's okay, I'm a spoken-for woman anyway with Malcolm, and as cute as you are, you couldn't compete with that. Besides, I've seen you with Felicity. You are a spoken-for man, as well." She smiled.

"True, that I am."

"Well, so, friends then?" She shook his hand.

They nodded at each other, then moved to perform their respective tasks.

XxXxXxX

The light in the room was soft and Thea found the steady rhythm of her father's heart monitor so hypnotising she dozed off for a while, hugged close to him. She woke up to find him smiling at her softly and returned the smile as she snuggled closer, gently. "Hi," she said groggily and her tenderness made him wonder if he might have been wrong in his suspicions about the Lotus potion not having worked.

And yet, there had been all these warnings in the books he'd read with Emily while he was still Resh, the expressions of pure hatred she had displayed, the minute and yet telling differences to her behavior after her resurrection and the potion treatment. He turned away for a second to reach for a glass of water and when he turned back, she was holding a dagger in her hand, a distant expression on her face.

He looked around the room, thinking she saw some enemy had made their way inside, given they were under attack from Talia's forces, but he didn't see anyone. Then he noticed the dagger was directed at his chest, the tip almost puncturing his skin, Thea's gaze unfocused and yet full of rage. She seemed to be in some sort of a trance, growling under her breath.

He tried to grab her hand but she wrestled away, making another, more vehement attempt at stabbing him, her gaze wild, animal-like. He realized what it was. Her bloodlust had returned. He was still weak from his injuries and gasped in pain as she nicked his forearm. He fought against it and after a long struggle, managed to restrain her.

He kept calling her name, softly, then more insistently until her gaze cleared and she looked at him in surprise, noticed the dagger in her hand and sent it clattering to the floor with a cry of shock. "Nnnooonnnonnnonononno!

"It's back, it's back, Dad, Daddy, I'm so sorry, I was afraid it would return! Oh, please tell me I didn't hurt you or anyone else, Daddy, I.. I just I-I blacked out like before, Dad, tell me!" She was clearly panicking.

"You haven't; you haven't, darling," Malcolm reassured her as he hugged her.

"But I could have, I could have, I almost stabbed you."

"You didn't, though, just please, calm down."

"But Daddy, it's so scary, it's- I'm out of control, I-I didn't even realise I was doing it; until you woke me up; it was as if I wasn't even here. What is happening to me? Tell me! The next time it could also be you or or Ollie or Curtis or Felicity, anyone! Perhaps you should lock me up somewhere, chain me to a wall so that this doesn't happen. I-I'm afraid, I'm afraid to touch you or anyone, it could kick in any minute, any second!"

She jumped off the bed. Malcolm ripped out his IV, disconnected from the heart monitor and jumped after her, tried to grab her and hold her, but she wriggled away, sobbing.

"No, no, don't, don't come any closer, no! " She exclaimed. "Damn it, I thought it was over, resolved! I mean, the Lotus potion was supposed to have done that! But no, I am doomed to be this monster, attacking people I love at random, this… this-" she suddenly lashed out and kicked a piece of furniture over, then turned to Malcolm. "Well, see?! This is what I am now! A rabid animal, one that should be put down!"

She dived for the dagger then and tried to plunge it into her neck. Malcolm managed to anticipate her intention just in time, found the strength to run towards her despite his injuries. He twisted her wrist just enough to send the dagger clattering back to the floor, then kicked it away and grabbed her by the arms.

"No, Thea, don't! I won't allow you to do that, I won't!" She tried to protest but he didn't let her speak. "Whatever the problem is, Thea, we face it together, understand me? I know I failed and hurt you before but I'm not EVER making that mistake again, do you hear me?!"

She tried to wriggle away again, but he insisted, steadfast and unyielding. Finally, she collapsed into his arms then, overwhelmed by the pure love that radiated from him.

"How do I face something I don't even understand, something that turns me into a killing robot?" she whispered in a broken voice.

"With help from me," Malcolm said. "And from our friends. There is quite a bunch of them here, in case you didn't notice. And just so you know, this annoying bastard of a father here's sick of this bed and would very much like it if his daughter accompanied him outside for a while," he said in a softer tone.

Thea seemed very reluctant. "What if I try to attack you again out there, what if ithe bloodlust kicks in then? You still have all these injuries, and I, well, I'm basically a ticking timebomb. Why would you be even willing to risk it?" she asked, surprised.

Malcolm put his hand just above her heart then. "Because I trust this. I trust the strength that I know lies within you. The woman you have become despite your ordeals. I never told you this, but I said that to Oliver once. That even when you were a little baby, I-I had this sense you were my blood. I ordered a bloodtest just to be certain, although, on some deeper level, I just knew, earlier. But it's not what makes me trust you can overcome this. It's you yourself. This stubborness you have shown in fighting for what is right.

So, what will it be, will you accompany me for that short walk?"

Thea was still a little uncertain, but what he had said had really resonated with her.

"Okay."

They made their way upstairs, past Kevin and Tim standing guard by the door.

"Whoa," Thea exclaimed as she looked around. "This really is a wasteland."

"Only if you choose to think so," Malcolm said. "There is major damage but also, notice, there are some trees that survived the explosion and listen… Can you hear the birds chirping? They've returned here, so there might be something good about this place, after all, despite all this madness."

"Well, wow Dad, having this recent near-death experience sure has given you a fresh perception of life," Thea blurted out, snarkily, then wished she had bitten her tongue instead. Was it the bloodlust again? She didn't want to make light of his sacrifice, didn't want to turn into a spiteful bitch."I'm sorry, I-I didn't mean to say that, Dad,"

He didn't seem to be angry at her. "It's okay, I understand how you might feel." He lay a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "When I lost my wife, when my entire life was shattered. I know what it's like to feel overwhelmed when everything is suddenly uncertain, when enemies seem to be approaching from all sides, even from within. You react in unexpected ways, are forced to do things you thought you never would have.

"I remember when I joined the League, I was completely out of my depth, alone in the midst of all these strangers, in an environment that didn't accept kindness or give it in return. It was a hard place to be at a time when I was at my most vulnerable." Malcolm sighed. "So I found a way to cope, a defense mechanism, if you will, to prevent myself from going absolutely mad. I'd just take a moment each day, however bleak life got and find some things to smile about. Simple things. Like enjoying a short, kind conversation, a drop of dew on a leaf, a tree rustling in the wind, the tasty smell of a meal. Being in the now, instead of dwelling on the past or dreading whatever the future may bring, The present is really all we have, Thea, and we so often forget to cherish it, recognize its worth."

"This is quite something, coming from a man whose life has been shaped by seeking revenge for what happened in the past, and dreading future threats." Thea remarked.

Malcolm smiled. "I'm not claiming I am proficient at this. It is a difficult skill to acquire, one that you can never cease to practice. And even then, it is always a struggle, but sometimes, it gets easier. Like, take your mind back to the happiest times of your life. The very very happiest."

Thea closed her eyes and remembered them.

"Were there any thoughts of past or future then? Or just you and the moment?"Malcolm asked.

"Just me and the moment, what I wanted to feel."

"And was your life perfect then?"

"No, not by far," she admitted.

"And yet, you had that moment of happiness, and it will stay with you forever, just like that time at the restaurant in Corto Maltese when we just joked around and had a good time, will stay with me forever. That moment, one we didn't even expect to happen, has helped me through some of the most difficult times in my life, Thea." His voice grew a little hoarse with emotion.

"I remember it." She smiled.

"And there are moments like that all around, only sometimes they are spontaneous, sometimes you need to look for them, sometimes you don't, you just have to direct your attention towards them. They can take you by surprise with their beauty."

"Like what?" Thea was genuinely curious then, the conversation captivating.

"Like that little rabbit down there." Malcolm indicated. "It's nibbling on the patch of grass that the explosion mercifully spared. And it spared its life too, despite how scared it must have been when it happened. And now, it's having its meal, just enjoying the taste of the grass, feeling happy and safe. Notice how safe and comfortable he feels, how focused he is on that grass and the food it provides him, despite the desolation that yes, is still around. But the pure fact is, he doesn't dwell on it, and in the midst of that horror, the danger he might have to face the next day, he has had this moment. And it will stay with him, and..." Malcolm moved slowly forward, and approached the tiny animal. He reached out and put his hand on its head gently, careful not to scare it. It seemed in need of some comfort, because it didn't run.

"Come on, pet it if you want," Malcolm encouraged his daughter. She approached slowly, then crouched next to them. The rabbit was now safely in Malcolm's arms. She reached out her hand and felt its fur, felt its softness. She looked for any traces of her bloodlust coming in, but there were none. Just this practically perfect moment with a very cute pet and her father, unexpected and precious, just the way he had said. The rabbit jumped away after a while after nuzzling her fingers a little.

"He probably needed to return to his home," Malcolm said, smiling softly as he stood and helped her up.

This was really a moment she would always cherish. And seeing Malcolm, so so tender, treating another creature with an almost childlike innocence and kindness, it reminded her of what she said to Felicity after the mine explosion. That she had caught a glimpse of the father he might have been, a father she wanted to have. She had thought he was gone then, but he was back and he still was this man. She thought she got a better understanding of him then. And of herself. He would always be the killer she knew he was, and it was what life has taught him, just as it did her. And yet, he would also be this man, full of kindness, her true father. Oliver was a killer and yet she never disavowed him as family. Robert Queen was someone she thought of as a father for most of her life and she cherished that, but now she did have Malcolm, and, well, who gets to have two dads?

Malcolm's philosophy seemed to be rubbing off on her. His openness, the innocence he had shown her touched her deeply. She searched for traces of the bloodlust inside her but there didn't seem to be any for now.

Malcolm put his arms around her and the sudden wave of tenderness towards him that enveloped her almost made her speechless.

Thea stared at the landscape and leaned into his embrace, any defences or doubts against him melting away. "I want you there with me, Dad, to keep me strong, every step of the way, always. I-I need you here and, please tell me you will protect me from this bloodlust; I want to be free of this. And... keep reminding me of this living in the moment thing. I really like it." 

"I'm glad, and I will sweetheart." He hugged her closer and smiled warmly.

They both felt strong and alive, unlike they ever had before.

Author's note: Here it is, my wonderful fellow Malcolm fans. Long chapter for you to enjoy and review :)


	4. Warriors

Undefeated.

Author's note: I'm finally back with the story people!

Lots of action in this one, and many of our fave characters making a significant impact! This took a lot of time to write and is truly a labor of love on my part. I live and breathe this story, it is making me feel giddy with pleasure when I do it, and challenge myself artistically.

It also has some heavy stuff so:

Warning: adult themes as in, child abuse, mentioned.

Without further ado, Dark Empres presents:

Undefeated, chapter 4: Warriors.

XxXxXxX

It was early hours of the morning as Oliver made his way into Malcolm's room. The tasks he and Emily had set for themselves the previous night had gone well. However, he needed to talk to the Dark Archer on a topic that weighed very much on his mind.

Thea.

He entered the room and found Malcolm already dressed in his slightly-worn League uniform, sharpening his scimitar.

"Good morning," Oliver said perfunctorily and somewhat shyly as he sat next to the man, knowing what he had been through.

"Good morning," Malcolm returned the greeting with a brief smile, then continued with his task.

"Quite a day ahead of us. You okay?" He still wasn't used to having these types of conversations with Malcolm, or in fact, with others as well. He preferred to get straight to the point, but that was not the case here.

"Just fighting on, I guess, as we all have to. Malcolm put the scimitar away and returned to sit on the bed, then looked at Oliver. "Are you? You seem preoccupied or worried by something."

"Yeah, I am worried. It's Thea," Oliver said in a subdued voice. "I'm afraid her bloodlust is returning. I've discussed it with Emily, others are also concerned. I know you're aware of the situation as well. She hasn't been quite herself for a long time, but it appears to be getting worse. I know she spent last night here, and she seemed okay afterwards but I have doubts and I need to-"

"She's not okay, Oliver." Malcolm sighed heavily. "She tried to kill me, spaced out in the bloodlust. You're right, it is slowly returning."

Oliver gasped in shock. "Oh. Wh-what happened exactly? Did she hurt you?"

"No, I managed to make her snap out of it, and she was very freaked out by the incident, but I calmed her down."

Oliver sighed with worry and guilt. "I probably should have seen it sooner. I mean, she was with me every day back in Stsr City… I was too preoccupied working as mayor or with other stuff, ignoring things that are the most important. And now…" He bowed his head in resignation.

"And now the last thing you should do is go on a guilt trip." Malcolm put his arm on the boy's shoulder briefly. "That's not what she needs. It will impact your focus, sap you of your strength. You spoke to Emily about the situation, so you know what needs to be done."

"Yeah, she told me about the research you did at Nanda Parbat. The way to Nanda Parbat is through Nyssa, and the way to Nyssa is through Talia and who knows what else." Oliver sighed, rose from the bed and stared at the wall in frustration. "Damn, perhaps you really were right on that roof in Starling when you called me well, basically stupid. Perhaps I should have taken your advice and then we wouldn't be facing all these horrible consequences. You'd have your hand and the League; Thea would have her soul intact."

"Oliver, you can't think in 'perhapses' and 'what would have beens'. We need to focus on what we can do NOW, gather our resources, and, well, just face what is coming our way to the best of our abilities. You made your mistakes, I made mine, we can't dwell on them. What do I need to do to snap you out of this funk?" Malcolm went up to him and grabbed his arms, but not too roughly.

"Perhaps you should just slap me." Oliver said in a weak voice.

Malcolm released him and shook his head in frustration. Adrian Chase had clearly done a number on the boy psychologically. "Oliver, this is getting ridiculous. You, and only you, can snap yourself out of this. We need you at your best."

"Are you at your best?" Oliver challenged.

"As best as I can be, under the circumstances," Malcolm said, his tone steady. "Just think of what is at stake here, Oliver. We can't allow ourselves to give in to our weaknesses. We need to strategize. We are about to go out into the complete unknown, and despite our past differences, we can become each other's strengths." He paused briefly. "I don't only mean me and you. Everyone involved in this has something they excel at, and everyone has a weakness, but perhaps we can help each other forge these weaknesses into additional strengths."

"You mean like my weakness is being stupid," Oliver said.

"Would you stop with that already? I might have implied something to that tune long ago, but we all sometimes say things in anger or frustration that we don't really mean. Just don't let a random, misguided comment of mine, taken out of the general context bring you down. Would you have made it after you were stranded here and then as a Vigilante in Starling if you were stupid? You're not. I made a quip, it got to you. I've had quips made about me that also got to me, but we can't let them rule us."

Oliver still looked unconvinced, uncertain of himself.

Malcolm sighed again and then just decided to go for the metaphorical big guns. "Okay, you feel you have failed in some way and it's weighing you down, but it has blinded you to the bigger picture." The Dark Archer looked at him earnestly then. "Have you forgotten how many lives you've saved, how many people you've inspired, how many enemies you conquered, and how many times you prevented an apocalypse from happening? If you have forgotten, then, well take a memory pill or something, because you HAVE conquered them, Oliver, and you can again."

Oliver couldn't help but be moved by what the other man said. He squeezed Malcolm's hand briefly in a mute gesture of gratitude.

"I- I know what you are saying but it's…" Something made him decide to be completely open then. "I just feel like I keep failing, and this burden is crushing me down sometimes. I've created these... personas of the Green Arrow or Oliver Queen the Mayor, and I know people look up to me, ask for solutions, but sometimes I...I just don't have them and that… petrifies me, because I know they depend on me. And... Just recetly, standing helpless on that boat as the island exploded, knowing everyone I care about was on it… It was like a-a worst nightmare I couldn't even imagine come to life." The boy's voice had grown hoarse, his expression haunted.

Malcolm looked at him with a gentle and steady gaze. "But you weren't completely helpless, though, were you?" He interjected. "You did rescue your son; you knew he was safe. And whatever you call yourself, whether it's a vigilante hiding behind a mask and a hood or a fake smile of a politician, the core remains. It can waver, by whatever reason; it shifts, adapts, reacts to circumstances, makes mistakes. But this core, however small it is, remains the same. How would I be able to stand here and still see that same kind, brazen little boy from years and years ago if it were otherwise?"

Oliver chuckled briefly then, perhaps only to hide how touched he was by what he heard. "You seem to be bent on giving me a pep-talk here, don't you?"

"And you seem to be in a sore need of one, Oliver."

The boy thought about it for a while and an avalanche of memories just collapsed on him, bringing on a sudden realisation. He struggled to process it and say something, not let the silence stretch for too long.

"I- I think I am, and um, well it worked and also…" The memory of Malcolm telling him a few years ago he had always thought of him as a son came back and he found he didn't mind it, that perhaps they could mend fences, that eventually he could forgive the Dark Archer someday.

He put his hand on Malcolm's prosthetic hand. "I'm sorry for that."

"Water under the bridge," Malcolm said, making light of the ordeal.

Oliver surprised him by holding on to the prosthesis, ever so gently.

"How does it work exactly?" He asked awkwardly. "I mean, if you don't mind telling me."

"No, it's allright." Malcolm withdrew his hand and removed his it was a prosthetic hand, which looked very lifelike.

Oliver gasped in surprise and Malcolm rushed to explain.

"It was just the cyberntic thing at first, but later on I had a surgery, when a real hand, created in a lab was attached. It needed time to acquaint itself with my DNA, connect to it, become... compatible. It is still weak, so I need the glove to protect it until it evolves to be like fully my hand, as strong as it formerly was."

Oliver took Malcolm's hand in his gently. He saw the nasty scar where the original limb had been separated. Otherwise, it appeared to be completely natural.

"Well, Damien Dahrk proved to be good for one thing, at least," Oliver said.

Malcolm chuckled. "Oh, he only provided me with the first prosthesis. The surgery was performed by a very good acquaintance of mine, a very forward thinking and talented doctor. But yes, the glove for protection was Damien's idea." Malcolm smiled.

"Well, Malcolm, I'm not sure how I feel about you seeming to continue feeling kind of warmish towards Damien Dahrk." Oliver said, with an edge to his voice.

"Oliver, I dont want you to get me wrong…" Malcolm started, slowly. "I realize you have every reason to hate him, but I have come to know him on a different level. He loved his daughter and was heartbroken when his wife died, so much so…. And I never revealed that to anyone, but I was the one who told him Ruve had died and that is when he decided life was just not worth living and well, decided to nuke the world.

"When Rebecca died, I felt similarly, about the Glades, not nuke the world extreme, but still… I understood him on some level and the sorrow he felt was real enough. Dangerous and unacceptable, but real."

Oliver chuckled bitterly then. "At least you didn't go the nuke way."

Malcolm laughed a little too. "But then again, I understand Damien's sentiment. Losing a person you have loved for so long, so much… It can make you do insane things. And whatever evil stuff he did, even before Ruve died, he still had this capability for love, so there it is." Malcolm shrugged, a little self-consciously.

Oliver looked at him, deciding to be open-minded. "It seems sort of like you became kind of… friends?"

Malcolm sighed. "Perhaps 'friends' would be saying too much, but I did understand him in a way. He had this dream and well, when I was working with him at Hive, it was not all bad."

Oliver nodded, a little doubtfully, but decided to indulge Malcolm, and felt quite a bit intrigued.

Malcolm continued. "His entire idea, from the get-go, was utopian. Using pills to make everyone obedient and happy, oblivious to life's problems. It can be tempting. Just get rid of the pain, the suffering...Which is not possible, but, there was a good sentiment behind what he did. Only he went so wrong about it, hurting Felicity, using the Idol to gain power... I dont even need to reiterate it to you. And I was no better, selling out William to him…" Malcolm's voice hitched a little with emotion.

"I'm sorry about this, Oliver."

"Well, perhaps, some day I might forgive you," Oliver said in a soft, yet firm voice. "Just keep being honest with me like you have been now."

"Always." Malcolm reassured him as he put his glove back on.

The Dark Archer was shocked when Oliver suddenly grabbed him into a tight embrace, like that of a son. He returned it immediately. The boy held on for a while and Malcolm felt his breath hitch slightly again. He was truly moved. The two men disentangled, then, each slightly self-conscious at their outburst of emotion. Malcolm patted Oliver on the back, his voice turning brisk, but still full of warmth. "So, everyone ready for our venture, I take it?"

"Yeah, I made sure they all know what to do and how to proceed. Sabrina, Emily, Felicity and I know our roles as regards to Thea and Nyssa. So now people are getting ready to move out, double checking their gear and so on"

Malcolm nodded. Then he noticed Oliver smiling mysteriously.

"Oliver? What are you smirking about?" He asked,

"Well, there's something, very important, but I will let Emily do the talking." Oliver moved to open the door and Emily entered, carrying a wrapped object.

XxXxXxX

Malcolm looked at them in confusion as he opened the simple cardboard box and saw a bow, just like the one he used to have, just like Emily had.

Oliver had to smile at his shocked expression.

"Wh-?" Malcolm stuttered in growing surprise.

Emily just smiled at him. "It's one of mine. You know I keep numerous extras of the exact ones like yours and mine. I happened to have brought this one with me. Yours was destroyed in that explosion." Her gaze darkened for a moment, but she recovered fast. "We can't have the Dark Archer go without a bow and well, it was a team effort, really. Oliver, Sabrina, Tim and Kevin helped me with the whole idea." She grabbed the Green Arrow's arm and forced him to come closer, despite the fact he was blushing bright red. Then she indicated the small carving of a bow and arrow below the grip, just where the gash from an enemy sword from their mission in Thailand used to be on Malcolm's previous bow. "I wanted it here as a reminder that we can triumph despite all odds, and Oliver has helped me with the technical aspect of stuff."

Malcolm was a loss for words.

"Go on, see how it feels, " Emily encouraged.

Malcolm pulled it to it's full draw, his stance impeccable despite his previous injuries.

"Well, I never get tired of seeing that." Emily's words were muffled slightly as Malcolm suddenly turned and hugged her and Oliver. Seconds later Sabrina, Kevin and Tim filed into the room and he held them as well.

"Whoa, are we really doing a group hug?!" Sabrina exclaimed.

"Of course!" Kevin said and used his arm strength to pull them all together even closer.

Then they went out, leaving just Malcolm and Oliver in the room.

"I truly appreciate this, Oliver," Malcolm said, softly running his fingers over the bow and arrow carving on his new weapon. "Maybe it could symbolise a new chapter in our relationship, something free of pain and suffering, something built on trust and, well, support." A hopeful smile played at the corners of his mouth. "I'd truly like that, and... It is an honour to wield a weapon you helped create."

"Well, I didn't create it, I just perhaps enhanced it a little," Oliver replied, trying to sound dismissive of his own effort.

"You definitely adjusted the technicalities on it. Emily uses one like mine, but it's adjusted to her build. As is Sabrina's. I know they both know my preferences by heart. Kevin and Tim are not archers, so I bet you were the one who did the ultimate testing. I did pose as you that one time when facing Damien Dahrk, and all the settings of your bow fit me like a glove."

"Okay, yeah, Emily used the same argument when she got me to do that." Oliver capitulated.

Malcolm chuckled. "Besides, when I said 'create', I didn't mean you had to make it from scratch. I could have at some time replaced my old bow by ordering an impersonal one. This… this one will always have a special meaning, a meaning you and everyone else have given it."

Oliver nodded and smiled warmly, then his expression turned more serious. "You're sure you're okay to travel and fight? I mean, I know from my conversation with Kevin he secured the fracture in your thigh and that he is a top notch expert... I-I'm not asking this to question his skills, just to make sure you know that you can tell me if something seems off, and that I have your back as well as the others'."

"Of course, I will tell you, Oliver. and, well, I might not be my hundred percent, but Kevin truly has made sure I am as close to it as possible.

Now, you remember what I said about trusting in yourself, and if you need another pep-talk…"

"I know who to turn to. Oh, and your one hundred percent has always been sorta like a thousand, so ya just reassured me, here. Still, remember the offer."

"I will and oh, wait…" The Dark Archer cocked his brow slightly. "Did Malcolm Merlyn just receive a compliment from Oliver Queen? This is a day for the history books!" They both laughed companionably as they went out to join the others.

Malcolm and Oliver took their places at the front of the group, the rest of the people there either taken aback by their genuine and unexpected camaraderie or awed by the potential power of that duo working together.

Emily and Sabrina just exchanged knowing smiles.

"Okay people," Oliver called. "Let's get this party started." Everyone started moving.

XxXxXxX

A few hours into their trek, which for now, seemed to be going without incident, Emily fell back a few steps from her place in the group. She replaced Felicity by Thea's side as the hacker moved to walk with Sabrina.

"So," Emily begun, a little awkwardly. "Quite a bleak landscape here."

"Yeah," Thea confirmed in a bored tone. "But no need to walk on eggshells around me, as others have been. I know most of you know about my bloodlust returning but there's no use trying to avoid the harsh truth, or tiptoe around it. I'm a ticking timebomb, and frankly, I'm quite surprised I have my weapons. I might just go all freak and start shooting you. I tried to kill my father, as I'm sure you know."

Emily sighed. "Yes. I realize the Lotus potion hasn't worked the way everyone had hoped, and I won't pretend to know how you feel, or lie to you that we aren't looking out for signs of it returning." She put her hand on the girl's arm briefly. "But, Thea, that... doesn't mean you should be treated as an animal, restrained, left defenseless without weapons, or that each instance of you gettng angry should be treated as a sign of bloodlust," she said, in a calming tone. "We all get mad, and you saw my temper, how wild it can be, so let's not get panicky here, okay? We are being vigilant around you, keeping watch on you. We are also making our way to a solution that will help you. It won't be easy and it's not a sure thing, but it is a start."

"Well, your blunt honesty is refreshing." Thea admitted. "Just promise you will always tell it to me straight, Emily, no sugarcoating. Alert me to it before it gets out of control. I want to nip it in the bud, so to speak." Emily nodded and Thea continued. "Not that I mind the others' kindness about it. Sometimes it's just, you know, better to tear off the bandage. And my father, yesterday managed to find a balance between that, kind of the way you seem to be able to do. No wonder the two of you are in a relationship. Perhaps you taught him something?"

Emily laughed and shook her head self consciously. "If anything, he has taught me something."

"Come on, you're being too modest," Thea insisted.

"Okay, perhaps I brought something out in him, but it has always been there. "

They walked in silence for a while.

"It is nice you are calling him 'father' again." Emily said. "Trust me, it means the world to him."

Thea's gaze travlled to the front of the group, to Malcolm walking next to Oliver, the two of them chuckling about something companionably. She smiled briefly, then turned back to Emily.

"Perhaps I should have seen it earlier, or, I don't know… I mean, he took me in years ago when I had no one left, he risked his life for me... But then he did this thing with Sara, which turned out to be his twisted way of protecting us, then the stunt he pulled with Damien Dahrk, also to protect us... That made me think he only does it to protect himself, that he is a selfish bastard, but… he always returns for me, to rescue me, even when I don't want it…" She huffed a little in exasperation. "I mean, he doesn't have to, I have been a brat to him, and poured a world of hatred towards him… He has the means to just say 'oh the hell with supid ungrateful Thea' and move to some tropical country, which would have been easier for him, but he returns to help me."

Emily smiled softly at the girl. "Thea, I think doing that, leaving you, would be just the opposite of 'easier' for him. He truly does love you. You need to remember that. He is not your run of the mill sort of a father, but perhaps, he is better, the way he is? I have the luck of having an awesome dad, and well, he is not an assassin, but he is skilled with weapons all the same and I know he would do everything to protect me, be it kill someone or do whatever is necessary."

"So he is a little like my father?" Thea asked.

Emily smiled. "They are both warriors, in many meanings of the word. As all of us here are. Doesn't need to always be with weapons per se."

"Yeah, I get your meaning." Thea nodded. "And my father, he so often annoys the hell out of me, doing stuff that my entire being rebels against, and I realize his reasons for it...But then, just like he did when I stepped on that landmine, he revealed this absolutely wonderful side of himself, so absolutely pure, completely selfless and I-I know now I love him. He hit me then like when we trained, but it was… to save my life; I just… Damn it, I'm babbling, aren't I?" She sighed in exasperation.

Emily smiled calmly. "Well, I personally think that 'babbling' is the mind's way of making sense of things that confuse us."

"Oh yeah, 'confusing' should definitely be my father's middle name," Thea agreed. "I just… I wish I could make sense of it, of him, of me… Up until recently I kept telling myself I didn't care about that, I wanted to escape from it, but then, I realized I want to really know him, and the realisation came at the most inopportune of moments - right after that landmine exploded and I thought I'd lost him for good."

"Well, you haven't lost him, though," Emily remarked and Thea glanced at the woman, whose gaze was now focused on Malcolm, radiating with tenderness. "The wonderful maze of his soul is yours to explore, Thea."

"You really love him," the girl said softly, and Emily looked back at her.

"More than life itself," she confirmed in almost a whisper, her eyes tearing up a little at the memory of recent events. She blinked the tears away and continued, "Anyway, we aren't talking about me, we're talking about you and your father. If I may offer my advice on the subject of delving into that maze and your confusion… Just keep your mind open, don't withdraw, even if something weirds you out at first. You might not like what I say next, but I'm going to risk it all the same."

Emily swallowed and took a deep breath. "Perhaps, in order to make sense of you, you need to accept the part of you that comes from him, and there is a lot of him in you, I can see, just from what I was able to observe. The stubbornness, the courage, the capability for cruelty but also for unconditional love, among many other things."

Their pace slowed significantly and they were now near the rear end of the group's formation.

"The way I see it, we inherit certain traits from both the father and the mother, some that we desire, some that we'd rather forego. Then there is our own uniqueness and the way experiences of our lives shape us. And I've learned that if all we do is try to escape either one them, we end up making the very mistakes we wished to avoid in the first place."

"Then what's the solution?" Thea asked, genuinely intrigued.

"Well, in my book, embrace them, don't run. It does not mean surrender or war, just… sort of a middle ground. Once you familiarize yourself with them, you will be better able to make them your own, make… an informed decision. Instead of confusion, you will have...understanding. "

"You make it sound so easy," Thea said.

"Oh, trust me, Thea, it is anything but easy," Emily reasurred her.

"Well, then I'm at a disadvantage here, when it comes to making an 'informed decision' as you called it.," Thea sighed. "All the decisions I make could be skewed by the filter of the bloodlust. I've spent most of my adult life thinking my biological father is a monster because of what he did, but I am also potentially a monster, one that is like, tonnes worse? And I don't wanna be… I mean, you all have reasons to kill people, it is the trade or self-preservation... Me, with the bloodlust, I just do it for the thrill of the kill... when this… this other Thea takes over."

Emily struggled for words for a moment.

"I...I can't pretend to know what it's like, but you…" She stumbled a little, but then regained her momentum. "Well, there is also the Thea that doesn't want to kill mindlessly, so don't forget about her, or deprive her of her power by giving into your doubts. I'm not an expert on this, but what you are going through seems like a battle between different sides of yourself. The wonderful, albeit confused person you are and the 'monster' the bloodlust is trying to turn you into. So think of that better, open-minded Thea as one who has the support of all of us here. She has that advantage."

"Well my dad once sent a bunch of warriors for me to kill to quench the bloodlust for a while and then he seemed willing to let me die to keep his seat of power as the League's leader," Thea said in a somewhat disappointed tone.

"Well this you have wrong." Emily rushed to explain. "All this while, ever since he became Resh Al Ghul, he and I were searching for a way to rescue you in a manner that wouldn't be temporary, and we needed Nanda resources for that. We were on the trail of it, of a way for you to be free, like Sara is. We… there were few people we knew we could trust, and your father knew giving up his power to Nyssa would mean an end to that search. But don't blame her for that, she had her reasons, to do what she did and none of them were to hurt you. She couldn't be reasoned with, and I truly think she believed the Lotus potion would help you permanently. We knew better, that's why your father tried to fight it, but, what happened, happened, no use to rehash that. If nothing else, at least it bought you time. Now, don't for a second think that losing his hand is something Malcolm holds against you, or Oliver. I know he would happily go through that pain again to help you."

"I- I think I realize that now, but I… I just don't think I'm worth it." Thea bit her lip and looked away, an expression of self-hate painted on her face.

"You are, whatever doubt you face, know that it is worth all this sacrifice for him. Think of that love, think of all of us and let that be your strength," Emily said with kindness.

"So I guess now our best bet for me to go back to normal is Nyssa agreeing to help reopen Nanda and help us get the resources we need? You don't need to elaborate on it, I just gathered that from the general conversation."

"It is. And it does seem like a long shot, but we have quite a few aces up our sleeve. Trust that, and, most of all…" Emily just spontaneously hugged her. "Trust the better Thea. Trust the warrior inside you."

Thea hugged her back, feeling comforted and protected.

XxXxXxX

Oliver looked around the landscape, then at Malcolm, making sure the archer's injuries weren't bothering him. Kevin and Tim were circling the road around them, Sabrina kept her attention focused on William just in case, but the fact that the explosion had destroyed most of the forest made a sudden ambush almost impossible.

Still, it felt eerie.

Oliver strengthened the grip on his bow. "You know, I'd be much more at ease if we were inside some sort of armoured car right now, or at least had more manpower."

"I hear ya, but it it is what it is and, well, we need to make the best of it," Malcolm responded.

"At least we are clear on what to do and armed as well as we possibly can be," Oliver said.

They went to a clearing and then what remained of the temple where Oliver suspected Talia was hiding with her ninjas, where she was probably keeping Nyssa and Diggle.

They all nodded at each other, took their strategic positions and approached the compound.

There was a sudden whoosh of an arrow. Black clad men appeared, their bows and swords at the ready. Malcolm and Oliver moved into a position back to back, shooting at their opponents while keeping each other protected at the same time. The enemy didn't have much of a cover or a vantage point to shoot from, so soon it came to hand-to-hand combat.

Thea's bloodlust kicked in at just the right time. She attacked her opponents with precise and lethal viciousness. Sabrina and Emily used both their swords and their bows, just as Malcolm and Oliver did. Felicity and Curtis held their own with makeshift weapons that Tim and Bri had manufactured at the Chinese prison. Oliver flicked a glance towards William. He was shielded by Sabrina and Tim, although he seemed to hold his own as well, equipped with a small dagger, which he had a knack for using as a repelling tactic. Oliver's heart swelled with pride.

The fight did not go on for long. Soon the ninjas were all down, but still the group retained their positions.

Kevin and Tim reloaded their weapons, then moved to check on Felicity and Curtis.

Malcolm grabbed Oliver's arm and pulled him slightly to the side.

"What?" the boy asked.

"I think I know what's going on here." the Dark Archer said curtly. "There were just a few ninjas attacking us and Talia herself did not make an appearance. This makes me suspect she might have shot herself in the foot by going ahead with Chase's explosion, and now doesn't have a lot of numbers on her side."

Oliver nodded. It made perfect sense. "So, we storm the place like we agreed."

"Yeah." Malcolm nodded.

Oliver made the secret gesture they'd agreed upon to the rest of the group and they all entered the huge temple compound.

They made their way through the corridors and the chambers, unchallenged, aside from a few ninjas that they defeated without particular effort.

Then they entered a huge hall, lit up by torches on the walls and flames from embers burning in stone basins, illuminating the whole room with an eerie, uneasily flickering light. In the middle of it stood Talia Al Ghul, surrounded by her ninjas. "Welcome to my humble abode, ladies and gentlemen. I've been waiting for you," she said in a grandiose tone.

"Yeah, waiting and sitting on your ass. Sending missiles people's way cause, yeah, that is exactly what this island needs. Colour me impressed, Talia Al Ghul," Emily said in a not-too-shy whisper that carried across the hall and of course reached Talia's ears.

Malcolm and Oliver, as well as most of the group snorted at that remark under their breaths while Talia tried to keep an aloof expression and ignore it, even though some of her ninjas stifled a laugh.

"I think you have come here in concern for the life of your friends." She and her ninjas moved aside to reveal Diggle, bruised and chained, as well as Nyssa, who was almost unconscious, her face covered with bruises.

Both Oliver and Malcolm moved to run to them, but the ninjas around unsheathed their swords, ready for attack.

Talia made a swift movement that stayed her warriors. "No, let them, but only so they can learn a lesson. Let them see what happens to traitors and opponents of mine. What fate holds in store for my enemies."

The two men were allowed to make their way to the injured.

"Really, Talia? Really?" Malcolm exclaimed as he examined the all-too-clear marks of torture on Nyssa. "Is this what you choose to call and treat your own sister as? An enemy? A toy to indulge your own sick instincts upon?!" he exclaimed in pure indignation, then turned to Nyssa as she moaned in pain and he soothed her.

"Oh this is so touching," Talia exclaimed."The great Dark Archer, suddenly developing a conscience."

Oliver looked up from Diggle, who seemed less hurt than Nyssa and stared daggers at Talia.

"Not only a conscience but a goodness you'll never possess or understand!" Oliver shouted.

"Oh, yet another surprise," Talia drawled. "I sense a friendship between the Green Arrow and the Dark Archer has formed here. Well, colour me impressed. Now, boys. You've had your time with your pitiful excuses for friends there, and however touching it has been to observe, we need to resolve the situation." She looked around.

"We seem to be almost even in numbers, and although I rebelled against my father long ago, the organisation I established follows some of the same rules." Her tone turned brisk.

"In the League, we chose to solve our differences by a duel. The same rule is valid in my halls. The winner gets control of my forces, custody of my prisoners. Now, since these are my halls, I get to choose my opponent. And I choose him," she said as she indicated Malcolm. He was already standing, after having further comforted Nyssa a little.

"I accept the challenge," he announced as his allies gasped in shock.

Oliver quickly made his way towards him. "Malcolm, are you sure? You've been wounded so recently... She might have some other resources coming in, whoever knows, and there's our wounded friends to think about."

"Just trust me on this, Oliver. I know the stakes and what the situation is. Hold on to these for me, all right?" He handed Oliver his new bow and his quiver. Blades were clearly to be the weapons of choice here.

Kevin and Tim held a struggling Emily away as she tried to go and just challenge Talia herself.

"Okay," Oliver agreed reluctantly, then retreated as the ninjas moved to clear the area around the opponents. Emily managed to make her way to where the Vigilante now stood, foregoing her attempts to take up Talia's challenge herself, having understood it needed to be settled like this. Her position next to Oliver afforded her a better view of the duel. She grabbed his shoulder, and he squeezed her hand reassuringly.

The opponents drew their swords and circled each other.

"So, Malcolm Merlyn," Talia drawled. "You look a little worse for wear. How's that leg of yours?"

He realized then that she must have seen the brief wince he'd made as pain shot through his left thigh when he was standing up from tending to Nyssa. Kevin's ministrations held up though, and it was nothing but a minor annoyance.

"So is that why you chose me rather than someone else? Because you saw a potential vulnerability you think you could exploit?" he taunted in return.

"I might have chosen the boy. Or that girl beside him." She nodded towards William, who was now standing next to Felicity.

'

Emily heard Oliver growl under his breath at that remark.

Malcolm just arched his brow in a sarcastic manner. "Oh, so now I get it! You like the easy way out. Throwing in with Harkness and Chase for explosives, sending your ninjas to do your work for you, torturing your sister…"

"Only choosing to fight yourself when your back's against the wall and you want to preserve whatever last vestiges of respect your underlings have towards you." He chuckled, humourlessly, darkly. "And even then, you can't manage to hide your cowardice. Your every word betrays you, Talia," Malcolm remaked in disdain.

Oliver and Emily exchanged awed expressions.

"Perhaps you won't feel as humorous and talkative when I break each and every bone in your body and do the same to your friends," Talia retaliated.

"Well, I'm only talkative cause you're just standing there like a, well, admittedly pretty stick, spouting threats, after you challenged me to a duel." Malcolm smirked.

"So perhaps I had it wrong? Perhaps all this was supposed to be one of those stand up comedy shows instead of an actual duel? You're really getting me confused here." Malcolm shrugged in pretend innocence.

Most of the room exploded in chuckles.

Talia practically roared in rage and charged at him, but he was ready for her. In fact, he was counting on rage clouding her strategy as a warrior. He was not wrong. Although it did give her initial charge additional force of impact and he had to endure a powerful kick exactly to his wounded thigh.

It made him grunt in pain, but he recovered quickly. Kevin's ingenious support and precautions on that injury had paid off, so Malcolm jumped up after the blow. Physical pain was never something to slow him down.

He dodged, withdrew, observed a pattern in her fighting style. For now, she was so blind with fury, her movements were sloppy, which he used to his advantage, parrying them with ease, then returning them with interest. She had a few serious injuries of her own now, but the berserker inside kept her going. She was fixated on Malcolm's thigh and at some point, he had to go on the defensive to shield it, which made the legwork necessary for sword combat all the more difficult.

He heard most of the crowd exclaim in panic as Talia slammed him against one of the columns, a wild movement that made flecks of stone fall off the walls. Luckily, it knocked some wind out of her as well, and he hit her in the solar plexus.

"Really, people," he gasped to the crowd, regaining his balance. "I could seriously use some cheering instead of panic, so adjust your reactions."

Talia was still doubled over from his punch and Malcolm suddenly heard several cheers coming from the crowd, Emily's and Oliver's the most prominent.

Talia seemed ready for another attack so Malcolm decided a change in tactics was due. He caused a gasp of shock from the crowd, choosing to drop his sword, and use his Hop Gar hand-to-hand combat training. This unexpected change allowed him to confuse Talia, cause her own blade to go clattering to the ground. Aside from archery, Hop Gar was his favourite mode of fighting, one he'd constantly practiced. It enhanced his senses and allowed him to keep track of where their fallen blades were located.

Talia fought back with her League trained skills, but she was unfamiliar with his upgraded technique and hence, vulnerable. She was winded, growing increasingly tired and confused as he moved like water around her, without the use of any weapon, except for his own strength and stamina.

Oliver had to sigh in admiration as he watched. He had been on the other side of that type of fighting, suspected the level of skill it took and its power.

Suddenly, Malcolm performed a maneuver that caused Talia to lose her footing and he was on top of her, her own sword pressed against her throat.

She moaned from the shock of this, her head spinning.

"Yield," he growled.

"You have to kill me first," she spat, but her gaze was filled with panic.

Her ninjas made no move.

"Is that the rule of your organisation?" Malcolm demanded as he noticed it.

She remained mute.

Malcolm used his Hop Gar training again, pressing the most pain-prone area in the crook of her neck to force the answer out of her. She moaned at first.

"Listen, I don't want to kill you Talia, if I can avoid it, so tell me, is that the rule?"

"And what am I to expect, if I tell you the truth, whatever it is? My only options seem to be death or life in imprisonment," she gasped.

"That is still an option, though. If you don't give up, I will have to kill you. If you give up I can at least promise you this: you will never be treated as you have treated your sister. You can choose, Talia. You can choose to live and perhaps such a life seems bleak now, but it's still life. And you have several serious wounds," he said, his tone growing gentler. He removed the belt that had held some of her additional weapons, relieving the pressure it held on some of her bruises. "Your rage is subsiding so you're starting to feel the pain. We will treat those, not just toss you into a cell."

"What guarantees do I have of that?" Talia said, struggling not to let her voice turn into a whimper.

"The fact that I promise it to you right now, warrior to warrior. Or better yet, a person to a person."

Talia seemed at a loss for words, then thought for a while. Malcolm removed a shard of glass that had lodged itself in her arm. Relief came with that gesture and she noticed he was no longer holding the blade to her neck. He had quite a reputation of being cruel and unforgiving, but all his currrent actions proved otherwise. He could have crushed her and taken the spoils,tortured her or forgotten her, but even his fingers were removed from her neck now, his hands just holding her arms firmly but gently. It was more kindness any of the opponents she'd faced had showed her in a long time.

And Malcolm was right, her wounds were causing her increasing pain. There was one, one she had managed to keep hidden under her clothes, caused during the explosion, but she felt blood spilling from it. She showed it to Malcolm.

"Oh," he gasped. It was potentially very serious.

Talia knew it and grabbed Malcolm by the hand, suddenly overcome with emotion. "I don't want to die from this, and I will give up... I will, but only to you. I'm afraid your allies might come storming in if I just surrender now. I… Can barely move. I mean, I unofficially surrender to you now, but..."

Malcolm weighed his options, noticed she really was fading fast. He checked her pulse just to make sure she wasn't pretending, but it was thready and weak. "Tell me the name of one of your warriors, then make the official call, try to calm down and I promise I will help you," he ordered.

"It's Takeshi," she whispered. "I yield," she said a moment later in a hoarse voice and the ninjas raised their swords in salute to the new leader.

Malcolm and Oliver locked gazes and understood each other without words. No sudden movements of any kind, until Malcolm gave the signal.

"Takeshi! Approach," Malcolm said in a commanding tone after Talia's former minions sheathed their weapons.

"Yes, master."

"We have wounded people here that need tending to. I think some of the monks of this temple are also healers?" Takeshi nodded in confirmation.

"Very good. Make sure your former mistress's injuries are attended to, as well as those of the people she had you hold captive. Are there any others in the compound besides your team?"

"Yes, some... some refugees we took in after the explosions, some warriors."

Malcolm removed the man's mask from his face, noticed he was shaking with fear. "Takeshi. I'm not here to hurt you. I realize the entire situation has frightened you, but you need to get it together and understand I don't want to cause you harm, just to guide you. Do you understand?"

"I understand."

"Then introduce me to your friends so we can make sense of of this. I think all of your companions speak English?"

"Of course" Takeshi waved at his friends and they ran over, bowed, then stood at attention.

"At ease, and remove your masks. I'd like to know your faces." Malcolm said calmly.

The ninjas obliged and Takeshi introduced him to each one of them, but then returned to a woman named Yuki. He referred to her as his second in command. She was of slight build, but very lithe. She had an intelligent manner about her. Respectful, but self confident.

Malcolm smiled briefly at her and Takeshi, motioned for Oliver to approach.

"So, Yuki, here's what I need." His tone was brisk but gentle. "Bring the rest of your companions from the other areas of this place. We need to make a list of everyone here, myself and my friends included, just in case, so we're able to tend to each other's needs without it turning into chaos. "

He sighed briefly but managed to continue. "What happened on this island is a catastrophe and we aren't here to make it worse, we're here to make it better. Takeshi tells me all or most of you speak English, so feel free to talk to my friends. I would like for us to cooperate." He introduced Oliver to her. She nodded and walked off to perform her assigned tasks. Emily, Sabrina and everyone had also approached by then.

They started friendly but wary conversations with the ninjas. Sabrina hit it off right away with a young, sprightly Japanese girl who spoke English very well. Malcolm turned to Oliver. "I trust you are able to handle the situation here. I need to go and talk to Nyssa."

"Sure, just as we agreed. We'll meet up here in an hour or so."

XxXxXxX

Malcolm entered Nyssa's room in the medical wing after one of Takeshi's friends showed him the way there. She had already been connected to the IV and heart monitor. Her bruises were brutal, but he learned from the ninja on medical duty that no organs had been damaged. Still, she had endured major torture and trauma.

Malcolm decided to wait until she woke up on her own. He watched her as she slept, gently removed a stray strand of hair from her face. He had known her since she was a child. He hadn't forgotten that and realised he didn't want to. Too much of both their hope and innocence had been broken even before that first meeting, far too much after. He did not want their past enmity and the part she'd played in his downfall as Resh to define their future.

Minutes went by. Then, suddenly, Nyssa's eyes fluttered open and she looked up at him, made a broken chuckling sound. "Well, this is one surprising story, if I were to ever write a biography. Of all the people in the entire world, _you_ came here to rescue me.

"And before you ask, I remember, back there in the hall, after Talia did what she did to me... Kept doing it… Even when I _begged_ her to stop…" Tears started streaming down her face. She still seemed to be trapped in the nightmare her own sister had put her through. Malcolm wiped the tears away softly, shushed her a little and she continued after a while. "Then, there you were, not her, not one of her torturers, and... I remember your kindness and I remember…" She swallowed thickly. "I remember what you said. The way y-you defended me. And you, you had a duel with her, I remember that starting before I blacked out."

"I did," Malcolm confirmed. "I defeated her."

"Did you kill her?" Nyssa asked.

"No. She is in a guarded room, the medics tending to her wounds. Did you want me to kill her?" He queried.

"No." She said firmly. "I mean, we had a complicated relationship for most of our lives, but she is my sister…"

"I didn't want to kill her, " Malcolm admitted. "Her life was literally in my hands and I have taken so many already... I know in our line of work we take lives, but we also can spare some, so… Perhaps hers was worth sparing?"

Nyssa lifted herself in the bed and Malcolm handed her a glass of water. "Perhaps. And what made you rush to rescue mine? Aaaand let me guess before you answer that. The League."

"It's much more complicated than that, Nyssa, but yes, it does involve the League. Thea's bloodlust has returned."

"Oh," Nyssa said, taking a beat before the shock of that information allowed her to speak again. "I'm sorry, I really thought the Potion would help her." She had a haunted expression.

"It has, for a while, but now it is back and getting worse." Malcolm reiterated his need for access to the Nanda Parbat Library, his work with Emily on a permanent solution, the reasons why he knew the Lotus potion had not worked, the tricky way the information was scattered in all the books, reasons why he did not tell her about it at the time.

"So that's why you rescued me. After you help Thea, you are Resh again anyway. And what am I then? Just another minion?" She asked, unable to keep the desperation out of her voice.

"No, Nyssa, you misunderstand me. I won't lie to you, I intend to reinstate the League. But I didn't rescue you to use you as a tool." He paused, then turned to her with a soft expression. "Do you remember the time we first met, when you were a girl?"

"Of course." She nodded and Malcolm seemed to be strugling for words, his tone firm, but ever so gentle and… vulnerable.

"I rarely speak about it, but you didn't fully know the man I was then, before the training. I had just lost my wife, my entire world, and I was broken, unused to the ways your father had instilled in you from the start. I… I saw a girl, one that might as well have been my daughter, being drilled into a warrior, brutally, at such a young age. Then I was drilled into it the same way, or at least later, I realized it was a... version of this way…" He swallowed thickly.

"And I never asked you this, I don't not know when it started… when I met you, you already were very proficient."

"Al-Saher, I don't think I can answer that. To the best of my memory, it started years before we met. Fighting, violence, is all I knew from the get-go."

Malcolm nodded, saddened that she never got to have at least some form of a childhood. "These brutal lessons will always be a part of us, in different ways, but, your disbandment of the League... I know now it was caused by your hatred of your father's tyranny. It is a feeling I shared, what I was slowly trying to undo when I became Resh." His voice broke for a second.

"It couldn't be accomplished overnight, though. And I couldn't tell you what I was trying to do, given your enmity towards me. I know this enmity was caused by my own actions, misunderstandings, which I regret. But, Nyssa, it could be different now." Malcolm spoke a little faster now. "The League could help instead of hurt. It could be a force of positive change and you would be welcome to participate in that. Perhaps, paradoxically, what you did when you disbanded it, you provided that shock, a shock that could facilitate the change to make it something better than what it used to be. We would no longer need to be slaves to the parts of its history that I know you found obsolete. We'd still be warriors, killers if necessary, but there'd be place for reform."

Nyssa considered his words and they really resonated with her. "What if I refuse your request? Will you kill me then?"

He seemed positively petrified by the question. "Nyssa, I didn't come here with the intention to kill you or harm you!" Malcolm ran his hand through his hair in frustration, knowing he was about to admit a painfut truth. "Nyssa, I… I don't know how to say this, I have no idea… After my wife died, I just I had to leave Starling and I left my son alone, at a time when he needed me the most. I did it so that we could avoid such a tragedy as her murder from ever happening again . And then I came here and there was you, barely two years older than him, and you tell me his drill was happening for years earlier. I… perhaps I am not so much different than your father after all."

"How so?" Nyssa asked, her tone gentle in view of his distress.

"I wanted my children to be strong, both Tommy and Thea and the only way I knew was: introduce them to violence as early as possible… I wasn't the father that takes their dreams into consideration. I was the manipulative bastard who caused his beloved son to die because of my misguided quest for revenge, the dad that drugged his daughter so she would do what I wanted. You know all that, Nyssa!" Malcolm was shouting by then, barely able to stop himsel from crying, the guilt overwhelming him.

"Al-Saher, even with all that, you still are better than my father," Nyssa said calmly.

"What?" Malcolm looked up at her, shocked.

Nyssa swallowed thickly. "He murdered my mother," she deadpanned.

"Wh- What?" Malcolm stuttered.

"I saw it. I came to her chambers to say goodnight and there he was. He strangled her, his hands on her neck. I was four, I think," she said in a low, broken voice. "I've learned to deal with it since then, mostly. Talia doesn't know."

Malcolm was speechless for a while. "Oh, Nyssa…" he finally choked out. "y- you went through something like this all alone?!" he exclaimed.

"I had no choice. When he noticed me there, he said mommy just wasn't suited to our lifestyle and she had to go. That she wasn't obedient enough. He made me swear I wouldn't tell anything to my sister."

Malcolm just stared at her in shock.

"So, when it comes to bad fathers, mine just… how do you say it in English? Takes the cake? And that brings me to Thea, and what you have asked me with regards to the League."

Nyssa had weighed her options. She really liked Thea and hated the thought of her suffering. Malcolm's intentions seemed genuine. His pure, raw reaction to her ordeal when she was a child moved her. Then there was Sara, whose abandonment truly pained her and left her without a purpose in life. Perhaps rebuilding the League under Malcolm's leadership was the best option? He seemed like an improved version of himself. She made her decision then and smiled a little weakly, but it was still a smile. Both she and Malcolm realised she needed to focus on something other than her childhood trauma.

"I will help you restore the League. Or at least try to. It will involve reforging the Deamon's Head ring, and I know a lot of significant lore needed for that. Also, how to make the Lazarus Pit functional again; I might need to contact my allies from the League as well, find out if they want to come back. Provided you keep these glasses of water coming."

"Really?" Malcolm exclaimed in surprise, then almost laughed because he was pouring her another one already anyway.

"Really. Perhaps a new League is the right way to go. As long as you mean what you said and I can actually be a part of it, have a say in what it becomes from now on. I would be willing to accept your leadership, under the condition that the League wouldn't be what you very fittingly called it had been before, a tyranny."

"I do mean what I say and I know you have had a bad experience with me reneging on my promises. I don't deny that and am not proud of it. But, recent events have made me reconsider my previous convictions, do some soul searching, if you will," he said quietly, his gaze growing distant.

"Well, it almost sounds as if you had a near-death experience or something."

"Actually, I did, quite literally."

Nyssa shifted slightly in her bed as she took a sip of her water. "Oh?"

Malcolm decided that if they were to have a chance at an honest relationship, there was no need to keep the truth from her any longer, so he summarized the entire Thea-and-the-landmine scenario for her. She was bound to find out sooner or later anyway.

Nyssa remained quiet for a while, digesting the news. "Well, I wish I had a father who'd be willing to do that for me," she said finally. "All mine did was threaten me with death if I didn't marry the man he chose for me."

"Well, let's not be so pessimistic, at least he chose a decent boy."

"That he did. But wait, you say that about Oliver after, well…" She touched Malcolm's prosthetic hand. "After he did this? You two mended fences, or am I crazy?!"

"He did what he thought he had to do then, and there is no use holding grudges." Malcolm sighed. "So I think we're making progress. After years of useless strife, we might actually be mending fences. And while we're on that topic, you might, someday, also do the same with your sister."

"I very much doubt it. As you may have noticed, I haven't been very lucky with regard to family," she said, a tone of deep sadness entering her voice.

"Well, don't give up on her just yet," Malcolm advised. "I don't know the exact cause of the rift between you. Her torturing you certainly did not improve things, but, well, life can be full of surprises, ones of the positive kind." He smiled, remembering his newly developing bond with Thea. "Talia is your only family after all, and besides, there are other kinds of family." Malcolm paused. "I thought once that I was alone in this world and then I found friends, Emily amongst them, that, over the years, became my family. And since you have decided to join our, well, 'quest' to rebuild the League, you just might find there is a family to be had there. I could gradually introduce you to them, Emily in particular, to be sure," he offered.

"I don't think she'd like me, I saw her give me the Medusa glare at Nanda,shortly before the disbandment," Nyssa said in a bitter tone.

Malcolm laughed. "That's because she knew you hated me and she tends to be very protective. But she is also kind. Just give it a try, okay? You might find you have a lot in common, trust me on this."

"Alright. I admit I wouldn't mind a friend," Nyssa said, somewhat hesitantly. "And, coming back to the topic of the new League, we first need to find a way out of this wretched place. Something tells me the explosion on the island has deprived us of all modes of transport. Or do you have some sort of contingency plan for that?"

"Well, this is where your sister comes in. She must have had knowledge that Adrian Chase was going to blow up the Island or at least some suspicion."

Nyssa nodded in agreement as Malcolm continued, "I don't know her very well, but she doesn't seem like the suicidal type, even if he was, and she probably wasn't willing to go down with him. After our duel today, she had a choice to either die or yield to me and she chose life after all."

"She is the survivor type, so your theory is most likely right. However, how do we get this information out of her? She might not be cooperative."

"Well, after her defeat, her ninjas are under my command now, so they might know something. And if they don't, I will just have a conversation with her."

"You mean like torture her?"

"No, nothing as crude as that. After the explosion has left this place a wasteland, I don't imagine she'd want to rot away with us here. Like you said, she is a survivor and I promised her humane treatment if she yielded, a promise which I intend to keep," Malcolm said earnestly.

"Yes, this seems like a sensible tactic. But remember, she's a tricky one."

"I'm prepared for that. So, while I deal with it, you focus on getting better, alright? Emily might come by for a _friendly_ chat later on."

"Alright." She nodded and threw him a brief smile at the way he stressed the word 'friendly'.

XxXxXxX

Malcolm met up with his friends in the main hall. Oliver apprised him of the situation there and then the group broke into a round of applause as Malcolm told them Nyssa agreed to help reinstate the League and that there might be a potential way off the Island in the works. He told Emily he promised Nyssa she'd visit her. She smiled. Paradoxically, she was looking forward to that encounter, on a quite innocent level.

Malcolm pulled Oliver to the side and summarised his conversation with Nyssa. The boy nodded. Then Malcolm tured to Takeshi and Yuki, asked them if they had a way to escape the island and how the entire dynamic between Talia and Chase had played out. Yuki said that for all she knew, Talia considered Adrian a very unpredictable person and did not trust him. There was a huge ship she had, but she didn't reveal its location to anyone, the explosion came without warning and Talia was very angered by that.

This information was sufficient enough for Malcolm to make his decision."I will talk to Talia," he whispered to Oliver and the boy just squeezed his arm in a mute wish of good luck.

XxXxXxX

 _Talia's room_

Malcolm approached Talia's bed slowly, cautiously. His mind had ran through several scenarios this conversation might go on his way there.

She seemed to be dozing comfortably, but lightly, because she woke up shortly after he entered the room. One of Talia's medical staff informed him her most serious wound was not from their duel, but the one caused by the explosion.

"Hello, Talia. How are you feeling?" he asked in a quiet, neutral tone.

"Well, Malcolm, you seem to be fulfilling that promise you made me after our duel. I wasn't tossed into a cell, but are these really necessary?" She indicated the reinforced handcuffs that kept her right hand restrained.

Malcolm sat in a chair next to the bed. "As you well know, we have been on opposite sides recently, and to be frank, I'm not exactly sure what to expect from you. I barely even know you." His voice was level, yet firm. "I cannot risk you hurting someone that I care about, so I need to take these precautions. You haven't been mistreated though, have you?" He asked perfunctorily. "And you knew when you agreed to this arrangement there would be some form of restraint you'd need to put up with."

She nodded. "Well, that's fair enough. At least you're consistent. And keeping me comfortable. But I also know the reason why you're here is not just pure concern for my well-being. There is something you want from me."

"True," Malcolm admitted, again choosing frankness as the best of tactics. "However, I think it is something you also want. To get away from this Island. And from what your ninja friends tell me, you have a way to do just that. One you kept hidden from them, from Adrian Chase. I was informed it's a ship. Like I said, I don't know you well enough, and what made you go into an alliance with him, but I know you did not sign up for what happened here and the situation it put you in. Unless, maybe you were…. in love with him?"

Talia snorted with laughter. "In love with Chase, oh that's rich!" She recovered from her outburst then and spoke more cautiously. "My reasons for allying with him I will keep to myself, but you are right. I do have a ship, a way to escape this island. The question is, what do I get in return for revealing its location to you?"

Malcolm was prepared to answer that question. "You get to live, for one, he said. "It's not blackmail, just plain logic. You must realise the provisions here are not plentiful and the land is too destroyed to live off. We have two weeks, tops, and I will NOT kill people to decrease our numbers just to make sure there're fewer mouths to feed, in case that option crossed your mind. It's something I once saw in a documentary; it just made me sick." His tone turned steely firm when he said that. "And even if you tricked your way around me and killed them off, nothing would replenish the medical supplies, the very ones that are keeping you alive, staving off the pain of your wounds. Guess what happens to people in situations like these. The weakest ones are the first to go. You're not exactly the strong one now, are you?"

Talia tried not to show it, but what he said made her almost quake with fear. She tried to pretend to be brave, though. "So what, you're trying to scare me into compliance by describing to me scenarios from _zombie movies_?!"

"They're not scenarios, they are what happened for real and what would be bound to happen here." His tone turned insistent. "It's reality, stripped from its adornments, ones we put on it so easily, when we are cocooned in even relative safety, safety that can be torn away very easily, by the most basic human urges of pain, hunger, disease, loneliness, you name it. Survival instinct, Talia. It has its pretty and ugly face."

She remained silent for a while, but he sensed she was unnerved. "So, if I give you the location of my vessel, what guarantees do I have you won't just leave me here to face the fate you just so vividly described?"

Malcolm sighed in exasperation. "The promise I made you after our duel still stands, and I do really hate to have to repeat myself. When you reveal the location to me, you will be the first one to arrive there, escorted by my most trusted warriors. I guess there is a medbay on your ship? Your treatment will continue there."

"There is, but how do I know you won't just throw me overboard there once I get you to the vessel?"

Malcolm just shook his head in complete frustration. "I don't know what sort of people you have been associating with in your life to make you this paranoid, but it's getting really ridiculous! You either get us to that ship, then we get to Nanda Parbat, where, no, I won't throw you into some sort of dungeon. Or, we all stay here and reenact that zombie apocalypse movie! It's that simple!" He had lost his temper and shouted.

"Alright alright I agree, I-I'll do what you want. Just don't hurt me! I will help you, just don't hurt me!" She seemed petrified by this outburst and he laid a hand on her arm to reassure her.

"I won't." His tone was calm again. "Just breathe. Your wounds are already being tended to. You're safe."

She took a few deep breaths, then looked at him with a determined gaze. "Ok, you said you didn't know me. Well, here is a piece of information about me. When I get scared or stressed, I need to get busy, so get me a piece of paper a-and I will draw you a map and blueprints of the ship, I'm good with that stuff, just give me something to focus on, alright? Or otherwise I might freak out."

"Of course," Malcolm stood up, took a few pieces of paper from a table and handed it to Talia. She started sketching frantically.

"You really are very skilled at that," he commented in a gentle tone.

"Um, I- I always liked arts," she admitted, still sketching madly.

"So this is the outline of our way to the ship from here to the shore where it's berthed. It's quite huge and has a landing pad with a jet on it. I put it in this bay so that Chase couldn't trace it and rig it or the area around it. He was always quite obsessed with Oliver, so he focused on the parts of the island he knew he had visited the most. This wasn't one of those, that's why I chose it."

She grabbed another piece of paper and started sketching again.

"These are the blueprints of the vessel, the areas of the utmost importance, at least. I think I didn't forget anything essential. Oh, I call it the 'Black Swan'." She spoke all of it almost in one breath and her heart monitor's speed had increased significantly. "Um, just don't leave me here, okay?"

"Calm down Talia, really, no one's leaving you." Malcolm motioned for a medic and ordered him to administer a mild sedative. She nodded as she swallowed thickly, her hands shaking a little, one palm squeezing the pencil so hard her knuckles went white. Malcolm was quite shocked with the amount of fear and shock he could instill in people, even warriors like Talia.

"You're safe and you're healing, gradually," he said in the mildest tone possible. "I'll sit with you here for a while, alright?"

She nodded and lay back, slowly calming down as the sedative took its effect.

XxXxXxX

Nyssa was awake when Emily entered her room, perusing some old newspapers, probably more out of boredom than anything else. There were bruises on her face and her hands, but she seemed to be improving.

"Hi," Emily said gently in greeting. "We've never been formally introduced. I'm Emily Carson, Malcolm's friend." She reached out a hand.

Nyssa put away her newspapers and actually shook it. "Nyssa Al Ghul. You already know that, but since you insist on formality. Have a seat." She indicated a chair next to her bed.

Emily obliged. "Um, not formality, just, well, when we first met... You and Malcolm, and everyone that cooperated with him weren't on the best of terms, to put it mildly… From what he told me, we all agree we want to change that, so I thought it best to have some sort of you know, an official fresh start."

Nyssa nodded and regarded her calmly. She had to admit she liked the girl. She had an air of kindness about her despite the fact that she had the posture and confidence of a true, potentially very lethal warrior. She was maybe two years younger than Nyssa and quite frankly, she intrigued her.

Emily told a medic in attendance to bring them some Chinese tea, then handed Nyssa a cup, smiling a little shyly. "Well um, one can't really have alcohol in the weakened state you're in, but I thought a toast was in order, and _someone_ who knows you since childhood told me you like this particular brew… So, I thought we could celebrate this fresh start with a makeshift toast. Healthier than a drink, I guess."

Nyssa had to smile at this. It was genuine and unassuming. "Sure, why not? To a fresh start," she said.

"To a fresh start," Emily echoed and they clinked their cups.

"So, the medics say you're improving?" Emily asked as they both sipped the tea.

"I am feeling better," Nyssa confirmed.

"And um, I would hate to sound presumptuous, I'm sorry it was your sister who did this to you." She frowned at Nyssa's wounds. "Oh, perhaps that was too forward of me," she said, suddenly flustered.

"No," Nyssa reassured her. "I don't mind. My sister and I have been estranged for years and, well, we all weren't exactly a model family before that. My father and mother had a complicated relationship and she died very early, in circumstances that traumatised me… I told Al-Saher about it earlier on, so perhaps he can tell you, I… don't feel like discussing it again just now."

"He mentioned what happened." Emily sighed. "And of course I understand that you don't want to talk about it. But if or whenr you feel like it, let me know. That is what friends are for."

"Thank you, I shall,." Nyssa said and smiled gently. "So, back to me and Talia. She decided to leave after a falling out with Father. I'm not sure I made the best choice by staying as long as I have, given what he had done."

She looked away for a second, then continued in a different tone. "But tell me something about yourself. I do not know anything about you, and since we are to be friends…"

"Oh well, umm, where to start?" Emily replied, a little bit flustered. "I'm an only child. My mother died some years ago, but my dad and uncle are really awesome. I have two cousins, whom I thought could potentially be like sisters, but then, well, we had a falling out and now barely have any contact. No contact, really. And.. it pains me because I had high hopes about my relationship with them. They sort of... Abandoned me, and my dad, for no reason." Emily exhaled deeply, trying to remain strong.

Nyssa noticed her struggle and changed the subject slightly. "What made you decide to become a warrior?"

"I never expected to become one, really. It's complicated," Emily admitted. "I was at a difficult point in my life, twenty sevenish, I think, and I always had this urge for the martial arts, dabbled in it since I was a teenager. I got tired of being put down and channeled it into this. I wasn't made for office life and the likes. Took me a while to find my path, I was kinda lacking at sports as a child. I didn't grow up in the same environment as you, so it was quite an adjustment when I'd introduced myself to it. So at the age of ten you'd probably have kicked my ass. I was considered a bookworm by my peers, really."

"Well you might still be that, given your library work with Malcolm, but one does not exclude the other. And, once I get better, we might have a practice session together, when we make it back to Nanda Parbat.'

"I'd like that."

"You have received training from Al-Saher, have you not?"

"Yeah. I first trained at a Japanese martial arts school, but after he hired me, he showed me the techniques he uses."

Nyssa nodded. "And you referred to yourself as Malcolm's friend, but you're not just friends, are you?"

Emily nodded. "We are everything to each other. What gave me away?"

"Aside from how you were around each other even then at Nanda, before the disbandment, the way he spoke of you, the way you look at each other, the way your entire face lights up even during this conversation, whenever you or I even mention his name?" Nyssa asked.

"So it's that obvious?" Emily blushed.

"It's beautiful and pure." Nyssa's gaze grew distant for a while as she thought of Sara. "Rare, precious." Nyssa smiled then and took a breath. "You know, before that duel Malcolm had with Talia, before I blacked out, I saw you, I saw how you struggled to take his place, and it spoke volumes, Emily. About your love for him; also about the kind of person you are. And that is a person whose friendship I would very much like to have."

"Then it is yours, Nyssa." Emily grasped her hand in a firm handshake, then surprised her by hugging her gently. "Yeah, there's one thing you should know about me, I'm a hugger."

Nyssa just laughed and hugged her back. It was refreshing.

The door opened suddenly and there was a slight gasp, followed by a soft knock, a harrumph of surprise then another awkward harrumph.

Emily and Nyssa just looked at the intruder, still locked in what looked like an awkward embrace. "Yes Oliver?" Emily plopped down on the bed next to Nyssa, hugging her closer.

"Um, I hate to interrupt whatever, um this is, but, I have news both of you will like to hear. Malcolm managed to convince Talia to show us the way to the ship that will get us to Nanda Parbat. Further details are to follow, I just thought you might wanna know."

He quickly ducked back out. Emily and Nyssa looked at each other and just broke into chuckles.

"Well, Nyssa…" Emily said, still chuckling a little. "According to League law Oliver is or was your husband, so did he just went out of here thinking you were about to cheat on him? With me?"

Nyssa broke into very spontaneous laughter, holding onto Emily's arm for support, then raised her head and looked at the girl. "Hmmmh, well, if I didn't know you were into men and spoken for, I might have risked my chances by trying to seduce you. You're very pretty, you know?"

Emily smiled. "I tend to be self confident about my looks.. But…" she brushed Nyssa's hair away from her face. "You are absolutely beautiful, Nyssa. Gives me girly-jealousy beauty feelings."

Nyssa was moved by Emily's shameless, innocent honesty.

"You are very beautiful too. And I am excited about having a friend like you. Meant in a non-sexual way, of course."

"Well, I think Oliver here got a slightly different idea." Emily quipped.

They both burst into laughter again.

XxXxXxX

Oliver made his way to the main room, where Malcolm was discussing logistics for the trek to Talia's ship with Yuki and some other warriors. He put his hand on the other man's shoulder and pulled him aside, "I need to speak to you, urgently."

"What is it, Oliver?" Malcolm asked with concern. "Has Nyssa's condition gotten worse?"

"No I don't think so, but, um, uh, I, well," Oliver stammered and blushed. "She and Emily, they were sorta in bed together and you know, like hugging. I mean, they were dressed and all, but…" His tone turned really conspiratorial. "Well, we know Nyssa likes women and Emily acted all gleeful about it so um, well you might wanna, um talk to them or something, since you and Emily are like, an item." He bit his lip in embarassment at sounding so awkward.

It was Malcolm's turn to drag Oliver into a very private corridor, then he surprised the boy by leaning against the wall and almost doubling over with laughter. Oliver just stood there flabbergasted.

"Well, what?! I mean, what's so funny? Shouldn't you be concerned?!"

Malcolm continued laughing because he had realised immediately what it was all about. "J-Just hang on a second, alright? I-I'll explain everything."

"Well yeah, I think you should," Oliver said with a tone of indignation.

Malcolm managed to control his giggles and put a hand on the boy's arm.

"Listen. As you heard earlier, I asked Emily to go talk to Nyssa to mend fences, given the previous differences they've had. After I managed to convince Nyssa to reinstate the League, of course. But, what you might not have noticed about Emily yet, she is a hugger and a very spontaneous one. If you ever have a heart to heart conversation with her, you'll realise that, if you haven't already, after the whole group hug situation we had when you all presented me with my new bow, and your own hugging spontaneity towards me before that." Malcolm chuckled again, softly this time.

"So, while I am touched by your concern about my relationship with her, I think we're safe in that regard. And also what you should know, Emily likes to pull pranks on people. So, when you went in on them like that, she realised what your first thought must be and played into that, just for kicks. So there."

Oliver sighed. "Ok, now I feel like such an idiot. Wait, no, it actually is funny. I mean, what if Emily had come in when you and I had that hug moment and thought something was going on between us? And anyway, what's up with all the hugs recently? Perhaps we should rename the island ' _Hug Yu'?"_

Both Malcolm and he snorted with laughter simultaneously.

"Better hugs than landmines and explosions," Malcolm said and they both continued giggling at that, then Malcolm suddenly grew sombre. "Oh, this might have been in bad taste on my part, given what happened to Samantha. Oliver, is there no chance of her having survived?" he queried.

"Not from what I heard from Thea and the rest that made it to the ARGUS bunker. And even if she did survive, by now, it would probably be too late with all her injuries, and the explosion, the time that elapsed…" Oliver shook his head.

"What if it isn't too late, though?" the Dark Archer said, then beckoned Emily and the rest to join them. Diggle limped closer as well.

"Wait, are you suggesting we what, trek back to the bunker based on the very slim chance that Samantha may somehow have made it?" Oliver exclaimed in shock and some of the rest made similar sounds.

"This is precisely what I'm suggesting." Malcolm held up his hand to stifle further protests. "I know it might seem like a fool's errand, but we aren't moving from here until Talia and Nyssa have recovered enough anyway, so that gives us time to make it there and back, Oliver." He paused for a second. "And speaking of slim chances, I wouldn't be here right now if Emily, Sabrina, Kevin and Timothy hadn't taken those slim chances and rescued me after the landmine. Besides, it is a risk worth taking, for, well... for William." He did not admit it out loud, but the fact that he once handed over the boy to Damien Dahrk made him feel guilty. This could be a way to make things right.

There was a long silence.

"I agree with Malcolm," came Diggle's voice. "I mean, it is what I'd do for my baby boy, anytime. Just go with it, man, no harm in trying," he encouraged Oliver.

Malcolm almost withdrew with shock. It was the first time John Diggle had called him by his first name, let alone agreed with him.

Everyone was suddenly looking at Malcolm expectantly, though, and Sabrina helped him by posing a question, her familiar friendly voice making things easier. "What's the strategy then, boss?"

"Well, I think Oliver and I should take some of the ninja warriors with us as additional support, while you and Emily stay on in charge of the rest of Talia's former crew, make sure everything runs smoothly, including Talia and Nyssa's recovery."

Then he had to address Diggle, but he wasn't sure how. He remembered the time when he was training Thea and Oliver at the Arrowcave two years earlier and the man had told him he shouldn't address him at all. He decided to risk it anyway. "John, I'm not certain what the extent of your injuries is, but it would be helpful to have another skilled, trusted fighter keeping our friends here safe."

"I'm capable of that, sure." The soldier nodded briskly.

"Alright."

It went smoothly from then on. Malcolm gave instructions to everyone else, then started making preparations for the trek.

Suddenly, he felt a hand on his shoulder. Oliver, all prepared, but also looking concerned. "Malcolm, are you sure you are able to do this? I mean your leg, I know it's fractured."

"Fractured, not broken, Oliver, and reinforced with Kevin's help. I might need to rest it during the trek, but it shouldn't be much of a problem."

"Ok, just… let me know when you need that, okay?"

"Of course," Malcolm said, touched by the boy's concern.

They were met at the exit by Emily and Felicity. The hacker gave a good luck kiss to Oliver while Emily did the same with Malcolm. Then they were on their way.

The ninjas they decided would accompany them had the backpacks with most of the provisions and folded tents. The trek to the bunker would take about two days there and back, so they'd have to spend the night somewhere, given that the woods were almost non-existent due to Chase's explosion.

Malcolm and Oliver walked rapidly in front of the warriors, focused on the road, bows at the ready. They didn't really expect any resistance, but one could never be too careful. Oliver was well aware how many unexpected traps this island could hold. He noticed Malcolm limped slightly for a few moments in rougher terrain. He seemed to have fought his way through it, though, so they went on. Oliver knew that as a newly-minted leader of Talia's ninjas, the Dark Archer could not allow himself to show any weakness, especially since she and her entire organisation were still quite a mystery.

They trekked on for some while longer, until they noticed evening was approaching. Malcolm halted the company then and ordered them to set up the tents. Oliver agreed with the idea. He observed the ninjas warily, watching their every move.

XxXxXxX

The tents were put up, provisions properly distributed. Malcolm and Oliver would stay in one tent, their ninja servants in the other. The weather was getting quite icky. It started to rain.

Oliver approached Malcolm as he plopped down on one of the sleeping bags they'd arranged inside the tent.

"So," he said, handing him a can of red beans. "These new minions you acquired, do you trust them?"

Oliver sat down next to Malcolm, digging into his own makeshift meal.

"To be quite honest, I'm not sure what to make of them... I mean, you probably noticed, they are _all_ very young. I remember Talia decided to leave the League because of some sort of a major quarrel with Ra's. And you know what his politics were; he tended to train his warriors from a very young age. Children, really. When I met Nyssa, she was already well into her training and she was ten years old at most. So, despite their falling out, Talia seems to be following in his footsteps. Training them young, at their most vulnerable age, perfect age for indoctrination."

"Your questioning of her, didn't it reveal anything about that?" Oliver asked putting away their cans, making himself comfortable next to Malcolm, rearranging his own sleeping bag slightly.

Malcolm shook his head. "No, and she was very adamant she wouldn't reveal the reason for her cooperation with Chase, which I think is what you'd most like to know."

Oliver nodded in confirmation and the Dark Archer continued. "It really baffles me… She definitely wasn't in love with him and I cannot fathom another reason. She is intelligent enough to have realised she couldn't trust him. It's both what her and her ninjas confirmed. Was he blackmailing her in some way, or…" He suspended his voice for a moment. "Oliver, I don't think you did something to aggravate her? Gave her a reason to go against you? Because Chase had a reason: vengeance, but her? I mean, you have a history with her which I don't know about, so I need to ask." Malcolm queried.

Oliver shook his head. "No, when I met her I didn't even know her true identity or what it meant. We went on some missions together, she challenged me to use my skills, but, no. I didn't jilt her in the romantic way or anger her during a mission. That's why I was so surprised when she acted like this."

"Alright, I guess we will figure it out later, after we rescue Samantha."

Oliver smiled at him then.

"What, have I said something funny?" Malcolm asked.

"No, it's just the certainty with which you referred to it, rescuing Samantha. It's not funny, it's just... inspiring." Oliver snuggled into his sleeping bag.

"Well I'm glad it is; we need that," Malcolm patted him on the shoulder, then snuggled into his own bedspread, letting the rain lull him into sleep.

XxXxXxX

Talia heard soft footsteps approaching her bed, thinking it was a medic. She opened her eyes slowly but noticed it wasn't a medic at all. Still, she stretched and gave herself time to sit up in the bed.

Then she looked up at Emily, who'd sat down in a chair next to it, a neutral expression on her face.

"Hi, Talia, I'm Emily."

"Hi, Emily. What brings you here?" Talia asked somewhat groggily.

"You recognize me from before?"

"Hard to forget someone who tried to duel me so badly they needed to be restrained," Talia said, referring to the situation in the hall. "And sorry to disappoint, but I'm not exactly in a condition to indulge that need of yours."

"I'm not here to challenge you to a duel, Talia. Well, not at the moment." Emily's tone was still gentle but it carried a threat with it.

"What then, milk me for information?"

"Milk you?" Emily chuckled. "Did you suddenly become a cow?"

Talia had to laugh at that. "You definitely have a sense of humor! A sassy one too!"

Emily smirked. "Well, thanks for the compliment, I guess. You are right though, I need some information, as long as you're not about to go all 'mooooo' on me."

That sent Talia into a set of giggles, then she turned serious.

"What information do you need?"

"Malcolm told me you weren't exactly forthcoming about what made you throw in with Adrian Chase. And since you said you would get us to the ship, I cannot have you be secretive about something like this. There are lives at stake, including yours."

Talia thought for a while, then her emotions just took the better of her. "Chase lied to me, alright?! He said he would help me expand my organisation, even more, bring it to levels I would be astounded by." She paused briefly. "He had this vendetta against Oliver and I didn't really give a damn one way or the other, so I agreed to help Chase. And because of that…" She started coughing, her heart monitor beeping a little faster, but she struggled on to speak. "Now, added to the fact that I got fooled by a maniac, what lies in my future? Humiliation, imprisonment."

Emily moved to sit on the bed then, helped Talia into a more comfortable position. She didn't like the woman, but she couldn't disregard her predicament. She hadn't expected to see a warrior of her caliber this broken and tired. Her every instinct screamed for her to help.

"Talia, no one will humiliate you. Yes, you will be restrained, but like Malcolm said, you will also be treated with kindness . Just... _allow_ yourself to be helped."

"Alright." Talia leaned into her bed as Emily moved to exit the room.

"He raped me." Talia's suddenly flat, quiet voice stopped her.

Emily turned with surprise. "What? Malcolm?! Rape anyone? NEVER!"

"No, not your precious Malcolm, I know he would never do that. I mean my father!" Her voice was haunted, angry.

Emily returned to her seat by Talia's bedside as the woman started to speak rapidly, her tone suddenly very vulnerable.

"You wanted the whole truth, now you have it! He did it repeatedly, while I was a child. Not to Nyssa though, she was his golden child, although he never intended for either one of us to inherit his throne. But he said I had a special purpose. Every night when he came to my bed, he'd tell me it was my duty and that it should always remain our secret. He trained me, but after the training he'd instruct me on what to wear, what scents to use to arouse him." All of Talia's reservations seemed to break loose then.

"He'd have these demands, ones I didn't even know the meaning of at the time and he'd hit me if I didn't perform, told me that the hitting was helping me to learn, and he hit me in places no one else could notice, or ones that would pass for just usual League bruises."

Emily almost retched at the very idea of it, but managed to control herself.

"He didn't only do it to me. After I grew up, he had others. Oh, he liked little girls, liked to brag about them to me." She laughed bitterly. "Then, when I was older, strong enough, well, I just escaped. I know he never did anything to Nyssa, though. Perhaps that is why I had this rift with her. Because she didn't have to suffer through it. I didn't think she would believe me if i told her he was capable of THAT. And I am not telling you this cause I need pity. I don't know what I need." The last sentence was said in barely a whisper.

Emily couldn't help but reach out a hand and just brush it against Talia's arm softly, then squeeze it tightly. She struggled for words. "I cannot imagine what you've been through. What I know is it must have been monstrous and difficult to share with anyone."

"It shows you, though, why I would have an issue with men in power, like Malcolm."

"He'd never do that to anyone!" Emily assured her, vehemently. "That is something I would bet a thousand of lifetimes on."

"Relax, I wasn't suggesting he would. I mean we fought and he hurt me, but it was a warriors' fight, not a pervert's fantasy, and trust me, I can tell the difference."

"Alright." Emily calmed down as her anger was quenched by a feeling of compassion for what Talia had been through. "If I might suggest something, though. Tell your sister about what your father did."

"After what I did to her? You're joking," Talia balked.

"No, that's precisely why you SHOULD tell her. Because as you said, this is the reason you hurt her. You were abused, daily, while it seemed as if she was the princess, the protected one. But you know now she wasn't, really. He hurt her too, in a different way," Emily said, understanding this difficult predicament. " And you were children, so yeah, perhaps then she wouldn't understand what it all meant. You're both adults now. Do you know your father threatened her with death if she didn't agree to marry Oliver?" Talia shook her head and Emily continued. "After years of thinking that she was heir to the throne, he just reduced her to a, well, a thing." Emily couldn't keep the frustration out of her voice. "She spent her life loving the man, gradually becoming aware of _some_ of his faults, loving him despite them, but increasingly disillusioned, until she just couldn't take it anymore. That's why she disbanded the League. Even though it had a different leader after Oliver killed your father, she still saw it as an extension of your his tyranny. Malcolm wanted to lead it in a different way, but, well, things happened and we didn't get a chance to."

"You said say 'we'? So Malcolm was ready to treat you as his equal? Co-rule the League with him. As emperor and empress?" She scoffed slightly.

Emily refused to let the woman taunt her. "Don't mock, Talia. I realise the horror your father put you through made you wary of men in general, but not all of them are like that. Malcolm is definitely not. He is an assassin as am I. As most of the people in this compound are, really, but, he is no pervert, he is not evil."

Talia was silent for a while, remembering Malcolm's kindness towards her, but she was still doubtful. She decided to ask a question that bothered her.

"Are you sure you can trust him, Emily? What is the story between you two anyway? Come on, you came to me for information, so share some with me as well?"

Emily hesitated, but then decided to indulge Talia. "Well, first of all, I am completely sure I can trust him. We met over a decade ago. I am a mercenary by trade. At first, he was just my employer, but we developed a trust, became friends and then the relationship evolved. I have seen him at his worst and at his best, and trust me when I tell you this: his best far outweighs the worst. Despite the 'profession' he chose, he has a strong moral core. There are things he would never stoop to, under any circumstances and that is why I. ..fell in love with him."

Emily paused for a second. "But to returncome back to your question as to what the League would look like when restored. It needs a stong leader, but the way Malcolm and I wanted to run it would not be a tyrrany. It would be an organisation in which everyone's voice would be heard. We'd get rid of the traditions that are obsolete, keep the ones that work. The League has a vast potential for making the world a better place, preventing the Chases of this world from causing the tragic events we had to endure. Let's not lie to ourselves, people like that come along all the time. And none of us are ideal. We all have the potential for cruelty in us, we make mistakes, get mad."

"So don't you think Malcolm's actions in Starling a few years ago, in the Glades were those of a madman?" Talia queried.

Emily sighed. "I'm not aware of how much you know about what happened that lead to this but I am sure you know his beloved wife was killed. Like I said, we all go a little mad sometimes. I lost a close friend to the Glades myself and I started working for Malcolm shortly after, I was part of what happened in the Glades. Grief can bring you to a very very crazy place." Emily's gaze grew haunted.

"After it happened and we realized how many innocent people were killed along with the criminals we meant to destroy, both Malcolm and I were heartbroken. We decided to do everything to prevent that from happeneing again in the world, as much as it could ever be done. But Talia, you must know that in each war there are innocent victims. I have never seen Malcolm this broken after he realised his way of doing things had caused so much suffering." Emily sniffled a little then, but managed to continue.

"That's when the idea of a new League started developing. Malcolm seemed to be running around in circles. We all were, trying to juggle your father hunting him, Malcolm being a fugitive, struggling to survive that while making a plan to help people, deal with the guilt, his daughter, Oliver, all of it…"

"Malcolm, me and all of us, really, realized then that instead of giving into our guilt too much was not the right approach… Because of this experience we were better equipped, psychologically, to know what NOT to do in order to avoid the inner madness. Nip it in the bud, so to speak."

"Well, I think I failed on the 'nipping it in the bud' part when I hurt Nyssa so badly. Had others beat her… I'm not proud of that." Talia teared up a little.

"Which is the very reason you should talk to her. I can't guarantee she will forgive you at once, but it will be a start."

"What would I say though? Will she even want to speak to me?" Talia sounded doubtful and resigned.

"I can go and ask her right now if you want," Emily offered. "When Malcolm spoke to her earlier, she was not completely opposed to it. And then just tell her what you told me." Emily's tone turned gentler. "She is disillusioned enough towards your father," Emily said, uncertain if she should reveal what Nyssa had told her about their father killing their mother. She decided it was Nyssa's truth to tell. "Talia, don't be afraid to speak from your heart. She is your sister, trust in that."

"Well i admit, I like that optimistic attitude of yours." A flicker of a smile appeared on Talia's face. "Yes, I will try to speak with her, now. No use avoiding it."

Emily smiled back at her. "Alright, since you're in worse shape than Nyssa, I will just go to her room and ask her to come here. We'll bring one of our warriors to escort her, since I'm not willing to risk you acting up suddenly. I just don't know you that well yet, you understand?" she said in a gentle but firm tone.

"Yeah, I'd do the same in such a case." Talia couldn't help but smile again. The girl was really something else, and her kindness was touching.

Talia did feel a lot of trepidation, whether Nyssa would even agree to see her, if they'd find common ground, but she was willing to take the risk.

Emily returned after a while with Kevin and, surprisingly, Nyssa.

"Hello, sister," the woman said as Kevin helped her to the chair next to Talia's bed.

"Hello Nyssa," Talia said. There was a long pause. "Um, there is something, a lot of things I- I need to tell you. I'm not sure quite where to begin."

"I'm willing to listen; take your time." Nyssa replied in a calm but cautious voice.

Emily popped in her head for a second revving up the gears on an effort for a cheerful tone. "You talk at your leisure, girls, me and Kevin will be just outside if you need us!"

She closed the door and assumed a guard position next to Kevin.

"Nice work there, my fellow warrior, bringing them together like this after well, that entire debacle between them." he said, cracking a smile.

Emily just huffed as she leaned against the wall. "Warrioring is easy compared to this."

"To what?" He queried.

"I feel as if all I've been doing recetly is running a family counselling practice." She answered in a slightly frustrated tone.

Kevin snorted with laughter. "Well, you can always add that to your resume, so it is a bonus."

"Gee, thanks, now you suddenly becamea career advisor?" She elbowed him in the side playfully. "Bri and Tim are there making sure the whole ninja thing is running smoothly, right?"

"Yeah."

"Ok, I just wonder how Malcolm and Oliver's rescue mission is progressing."

"Well, we should know soon enough."

XxXxXxX

Oliver woke up, then nudged Malcolm awake.

"Time to continue our quest."

Malcolm shook the grogginess off and laughed. "Oliver, have you watched too much of the Lord of the Rings movies? 'Quest', really?"

"What, Malcolm, you think just cause I'm a 'Vigilante' or was stranded here for years I didn't give myself a crash course on popular culture since my return? And frankly, I'm surprised you know Lord of the Rings, um-"

"Cause what? Just because I'm the 'Dark Archer', I can't enjoy a good book or movie once in awhile?"

"Touche," Oliver said, chuckling softly.

"Allright," Malcolm said as they started approaching the ninjas' tent. "Now, let's just hope the 'Lord of the Rings' scenario doesn't suddenly turn into a script from it in real life," He patted his scimitar and Oliver snorted with laughter at the reference.

"Well, Malcolm Merlyn, a movie geek, who would've thunk?"

Malcolm chuckled briefly then shushed him as they came closer.

To their surprise, they found the ninjas standing at attention.

"Well, seems like they woke up earlier than we did," Oliver commented.

Malcolm smirked, then approached the warriors, assuming his most firm and threatening demeanor. He examined each soldier's gear and equipment, asked them if they'd remembered to pack what was necessary, Then he made sure they knew what their tasks were, and how to react in case of emergencies. He also told them Oliver was his partner in this endeavour, to be treated with respect and obedience.

Oliver just watched Malcolm and couldn't help but be impressed. He himself had taken the lead as the Arrow, he had experience training people, but he realized he had nothing on Malcolm. The Dark Archer had mastered this balance between kindness and firmness that Oliver felt he had lacked when training his recent recruits. Malcolm had poise and focus, the ability to switch from when it was necessary to discipline someone to when they needed reassurance, or sometimes even both. Oliver remembered his own brutality towards his recruits and felt ashamed.

Malcolm gave the necessary orders and the company obliged. He went up to Oliver then, but noticed the expression on his face. "Oliver, what is wrong?"

"Um, Malcolm, I-I mean not now, but when we stop for a while during the trek, I need to talk to you about something."

"Of course."

They started the trek and it seemed to go on far longer than it really was. The rough terrain wasn't making things easy. Malcolm noticed they were all winded and the injury to his thigh was acting up, so he called for a halt. He spoke with the warriors, then went up to Oliver.

"We can talk now if you want to," he said gently, sitting down next to the boy, noticing he was clearly troubled.

"Only if there's enough time," Oliver sighed, "It might be a long conversation."

"Well, it is alright, a ninja there has a problem with his ankle," he indicated. "I could use some rest for my leg and the other one of the warriors is complaining about muscle cramps." He turned his full attention to Oliver then. "So tell me what it is, don't worry about time."

"I'm…" Oliver struggled for a minute. "Well, it's about Chase and me in general. Um, when he tortured me. I asked what it was all about, he said there was something about why I did what I did as Arrow, something only I knew. About why I killed people." Oliver's voice went hoarse, but he continued, "Chase… he just kept saying 'the reason, the reason, tell me your reason, the reason.' He was relentless with that… and then…" Oliver broke off for a while, the memories of that day flooding in. "I realized something and said it and he agreed it was true, and finally let me go."

"What was it that you said to him, exactly?" Malcolm queried.

"That I _liked_ killing and hurting people." Oliver blurted. "That I used all these other reasons as excuses to indulge my vengeful, selfish needs a-and-" His voice hitched before he continued. "I thought of the times that I did that and I enjoyed it at the moment. So he was right, I might be this monster. I used to think of you as a monster, but I saw you with the ninjas today, saw how kind you were, and thought of this satisfaction I'd felt after I killed an enemy and the cruel way I had acted towards the recruits I took on this year... So, perhaps he was right, p-perhaps…"

Malcolm lay a hand on his shoulder firmly. "Oliver, Oliver, listen to me. Calm down a little first, then listen."

The boy obliged, then sat a little closer for comfort.

Malcolm breathed in slowly, thinking of what to say. "First of all, Oliver, consider this fact. In our line of life we have to kill sometimes, right?"

Oliver nodded, a little vulnerable and uncertain, focused on the guilt and the trauma he had been through with Chase.

Malcolm continued. "We have a choice though, Oliver, a balance we can maintain. Sometimes there is no other choice but to kill, in a fight, depending on the stakes, the opponent, the sequence of action and reaction, the odds. You know that, right? And when I trained you and your sister, it wasn't exactly a non-violent experience. When you were acquiring your fighting skills before that, it was also violent. The challenge of it made you stronger. And you enjoyed that strength, the fact you gained a way to defend yourself and those you love, the confidence it gave you, the confidence you needed."

"I think so, yeah." Oliver leaned in closer, letting Malcolm's voice calm him a little.

He was still very confused and vulnerable and Malcolm sensed it. "Listen to me, Oliver. Chase made you think you enjoy killing, that you're this horrible person?"

"Well yeah. Perhaps he was right, perhaps I am. Just a stupid hypocrite."

Malcolm sighed in exasperation. "Let me remind you of something. We all have our demons, wrong things we have done, but we have a good side too and _you_ actually continuously remind me that I have at least remnants of mine. You bring that side of me forward."

"Really? Me?" Oliver still sounded uncertain.

"Really." Malcolm paused, then continued in a firm voice. "Allow me to elaborate. First and foremost, you are the one who stopped me from an act that would have haunted me, that would have brought unimaginable destruction, caused by my unquenched need for vengeance."

Oliver just looked at him in askance.

"The Undertaking." Malcolm said. "Not fully, but you stopped at least the larger part of it, at a very great risk to yourself." He sighed. "I had a lot of time to reflect when I was recovering from that wound you gave me and I am actually grateful to you for it."

"What?!" Oliver exclaimed.

Malcolm's gaze turned distant. "It made me think, remember I was acting against the values of the very person I was trying to avenge. Rebecca. Your intervention didn't stop the damage, didn't prevent what happened to Tommy or countless other people whose lives were destroyed, but Oliver, you also rescued so many!

"Then, when I was kidnapped by the League, you came to rescue _me_ despite of what I had done to you and Thea.

"Then you convinced me not to kill Brick, you… Oliver, you showed me there is a capability for good in me and what evil person does that?!

"When we had that duel for the leadership of the League, yes you did cut off my hand, but just as well you might have cut off my head. You chose to let me live.

"And there were numerous times when you and other of your opponents fought, that might have resulted in you killing them, but you didn't."

"Well, there were numerous times I did." Oliver looked all broken down again.

"I think that for the whatever number of times you took a life, there is lots more lives you actually rescued." Malcolm said, then chose to pose a question. "Is it perhaps possible, Oliver, that what Chase did to you, what he made you tell him… That it was just what he wanted to hear, not your true sentiment? I mean we enjoy the... _rush_ of the fight, but after, do we then sit and cackle, saying: 'Oh yeah, I killed that person, awesome me!'?"

Malcolm's voice grew lower with guilt then. "Do we not think, at some point, 'Damn it, they had families but it was necessary, nevertheless.'?

"It's a burden we need to deal with in this line of life, Oliver, or otherwise we what? Lay down our bows, decide to give it all up, move to a, well, nicer island, make a bonfire, sing 'Kumbaya'... And then, several years later, another Adrian Chase appears, only then, instead of accusing you of killing someone, he accuses you of not helping?" Malcolm's voice grew stronger with conviction. "What's the better choice, Oliver? Action or inaction? This is the conundrum Emily and I are trying to solve by forming the new League. Not making it a rule that killing is always necessary, no. Bringing people together to decide when it might be absolutely necessary. Discuss. Because the harsh truth is, Oliver, there will always be people who kill, who want to create dictatorship states. We, together, could make a difference, prevent that as best we can."

Oliver pondered the thought and decided he liked the idea and admired the genuity of Malcolm's sentiment. "I agree." He nodded.

"Well then, before we take on the world, let's try and prevent the disaster of William losing Samantha." Malcolm clapped Oliver on the shoulder as he rose briskly and gave the ninjas their orders.

The rest of the trek went smoothly and they made it to the ARGUS bunker easily. Malcolm ordered the ninjas to check the inside of the building while Oliver and he stayed outside, looking around.

The woods weren't destroyed completely, a stump of a tree or a boulder remained here or there.

"Samantha!" both of them shouted in turns, running around the terrain. No response.

Oliver sighed as one of the ninjas emerged from the ARGUS bunker and informed him there was no one inside. "This is pointless, Malcolm. "

"No, Oliver," Malcolm said as he approached the boy. "Did any of the ones who survived tell you where or when they lost Samantha?"

"No, they were all running for their lives. It was pure chaos. They just noticed she was gone when they were already inside. Malcolm, I really think we are just-"

The Dark Archer shushed Oliver as he looked around. He was NOT going to give up that easy. He knew from a brief conversation he'd had with Sabrina earlier about how doggedly Emily had searched for him after the mine explosion. He still remembered the fear on William's face when he'd handed him over to a stranger, Damien Dahrk. He couldn't take back the past, but he could at least try to fix the future. Do his damn best to het Samantha back.

Then he realised something and grabbed Oliver's arm. "Look!" He indicated some small buildings in the distance, perhaps belonging to the compound, most of them completely collapsed.

"Malcolm, this is hopeless… You think they lost her that far off?"

"Thats precisely why I want to check. Their route when they ran would have brought them that way, right?"

"Correct."

"And they assumed that she died in the explosion?"

"Yeah."

"What if she made it to one of the buildings?"

"Malcolm, they are ruins, there's no chance…," Oliver said.

"There is always a chance." Malcolm was tired of Oliver's defeatist attitude. "Coming with me or not?!" he shouted as he ran, limping slightly because of his leg, but his purpose made him shake it off. Oliver followed him, inspired by the Dark Archer determination.

"Samantha, Samantha!" they shouted. Silence.

Suddenly they heard a soft moan coming from one of the less-damaged buildings. They hurried there and Malcolm let Oliver kick the door open, then ran down the stairs, followed by the ninjas. Oliver ran after them, startled by their speed.

Malcolm looked around. It seemed to be a spare provisions basement, mostly damaged now. "Samantha!" he shouted again.

Another moan came from a darkened area. Samantha was laying on a makeshift mattress, looking pale and weak. There wasn't too much rubble in the room, but she clearly had been hurt.

Malcolm approached her and checked for potential injuries as Oliver crouched close to them. There didn't see to be many, aside from some bruises, but he knew there might be internal ones. He swore inwardly at not taking any of the ninja med staff with them, but they had had their hands full with everyone else at the compound. He needed to rely on his own painfully-gained knowledge of wounds and what he had learned from Kevin.

"Samantha, can you hear me?" Malcolm asked in a soft, but insistent tone.

She looked up at him, her gaze focusing slowly . She seemed disoriented though.

"I c-can, I-I know you; you were on that mine, and then we ran to the plane and Felicity said something about a bomb…" She was clearly disoriented and confused, both from her wounds and malnutrition. There were some water bottles and food cans scattered around. She was clearly in need of medical help after days of surviving on just that.

She coughed and continued. "We were running for cover, but I couldn't keep up, I-I saw this building... I ran inside and hid downstairs, then I fell and everything was falling, so loud…I found this old matress and some of this food here but I was afraid to go out after this horrible explosion, and there was no one here and i think I fell unconscious for some hours." She was rambling, clearly very uneasy.

"Wait, where is William?" she asked " A-And how did you survive?" She struggled to sit up, but Malcolm stopped her gently.

"William is safe, Samantha, and I survived because, well, that's a longer story, for another time." He smiled at her. "Now, I need you to focus and let me examine you, ok?" She nodded weakly, but seemed to grow more awake.

"Alright, now tell me if anything hurts here." He touched her neck and abdomen first and she said she didn't feel any pain. "Can you move your legs?" He asked, checking for potential spine injuries.

"Yeah, I'm just... just sore," she said wriggling her toes. "Um, but my left elbow was hit by the rubble."

Malcolm checked it out and from her gasp of pain he figured the bone might have been fractured.

"I just want to get to William, so help me stand up, I'm sure I can walk," she said.

Both Malcolm and Oliver protested firmly against that.

"Samantha, William is not at this compound and it is a long trek to where we are stationed," he explained firmly. "You might have a concussion or internal injuries. You can't just walk there."

Malcolm motioned for the ninjas to bring the makeshift stretcher they had taken with them and helped Samantha onto it. "We need to make sure you are well. You won't do William any favors if you injure yourself further."

She nodded.

Oliver was in awe of how Malcolm handled the situation. He also noticed the Dark Archer winced in pain when he stood up.

"We should head back. We can make it before tomorrow night if we start now," Malcolm said.

Oliver looked at him with concern. "Malcolm, you promised me you would tell me if your leg acts up and I saw it is. Perhaps you should rest it first?"

"Oliver. Yes, it feels strained, but I can make it, and Samantha may be seriously injured. As to my leg, I can rest it tonight, then have it treated further at the compound when we get back."

The Green Arrow still had a doubtful expression on his face, so Malcolm continued, in an insistent tone, "It's our best bet, Oliver. What can we do here? This place is desolate and Kevin did an awesome job of making the support gear for my leg. I can endure the pain. So, let's not dally."

Oliver nodded and Malcolm motioned for them to start the trek. It was long and he saw the toll it took on Malcolm, saw how he fought through it and pushed on. He never expected to admire that man this much.

They made a stop for the night, then arrived at the temple the next day just before dusk.

Emily and Felicity met them at the entrance with Tim and William. Samantha rose from her gurney at the sight of her son and took a few wobbly steps to hug him.

"Mommy!" the boy shouted as he ran to her and held her.

Felicity threw a glance at Oliver to check if he was okay.

Malcolm just watched Samantha's reunion with her son, smiling softly as they whispered to each other.

Everyone was smiling and then, William suddenly ran up to Malcolm and hugged him.

"My mommy says you rescued her, so I just want thank you; you're a hero!"

Malcolm had no idea what to do, the memory of when he handed the boy over to Damien Dahrk all to vivid in his mind. He decided it could be replaced by the image of the smile that lit up the boy's face as he looked up at him. And being called a hero? That was a first. He hugged the child back, his breath hitching with a tonne of emotions, but he managed to regain his voice. "You are very welcome, William. Now go and hug your father, he's the real hero here."

"You're both heroes!" the boy exclaimed as he moved to hug Oliver.

Malcolm turned to the ninjas to give them orders to bring Samantha to the medbay, then hugged Emily and got a sitrep on the compound from Sabrina.

Everyone moved on to perform their tasks and suddenly, there was only Malcolm and Oliver standing there in the corridor. The boy clamped his hand on Malcolm's shoulder amicably.

"Well, if several years ago someone told me the Dark Archer was capable of this level of kindness, I'd laugh them out of the room."

Malcolm chuckled softly. "Well, if, several years ago, someone told me I'd be called a hero, I'd laugh them out of the room."

Oliver chuckled as well, then turned serious. "Your actions recently, Malcolm, they've proved my son's statement might be true."

Malcolm had no idea how to respond to this. He returned Oliver's friendly gesture and clamped his hand on his arm.

Then they just stood there, two warriors sharing a moment of peace amongst the chaos.

XxXxXxX

Author's note is here:

To be continued, soon, of course.

Some more Arrow characters made their impact here and I must admit I enjoy writing Oliver and Malcolm camaraderie. Also put in some twists with other Arrow characters, really enjoyed figuring stuff out with them. There is still a lot of surprises awaiting you in this story, things i very much love writing.

It is an honour to meet you all, read your wonderful reviews and comments, that is always appreciated. There were some heavy themes here as well as some humour and as always, the wonderful editing and support by my amazing friend and awesome artist, Bloodsong!

Cheers and hugs to you all, people! Enjoy:P


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